


Of Swindlers, Butchers, and Wyrms

by bamboofoxfireproductions, ShaeraHaek



Category: D.Gray-man, Elder Scrolls, Skyrim
Genre: Adventure, Assassin!Kanda, Betrayal, Chickens, Comedy, Crack, Dragon!Allen, Friendship, Gen, Kanda has a demon horse, Lavi's a slut pass it on, Nothing in this fic is serious, Strange dragon-chicken friendship, Thief!Lavi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-24 18:30:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7518755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bamboofoxfireproductions/pseuds/bamboofoxfireproductions, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaeraHaek/pseuds/ShaeraHaek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>DGM/Skyrim AU RP : where Kanda learns that his life is not only about taking other lives, Lavi learns that some things are too precious to be sold, and Allen learns that not only chickens can make pleasant company. </p><p>Shipping aspects only if you squint hard enough. Not strictly following the rules of Skyrim universe, but close enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Awkward greetings from Shaera and BambooFoxfire!
> 
> After our Assassin´s Creed/DGM crossover we decided to work on another one, because fuck finals and YOLO, ryt? *ahem* SO, this is a Skyrim/DGM au and I regret to say that there are not going to be any direct ships you guys can fawn over, however, if you squint hard enough (as I mentioned in the describtion) you may pick up some shipping-worth parts. All up to you. 
> 
> So yeah, to the nerdy Skyrim fans - there are definitely going to be flaws in lore and etc etc, we are adding some magical shit to certain items, maybe we´re not going to be very accurate at what a dragon can and can not do but it is ALL for the sake of a good story - so, write any complaints you may have about this on a piece of paper and throw it away, thank you, love you, no flame. :3
> 
> It´s a RP and purely for fun - BambooBaby is RP-ing Lavi, I am taking Kanda and Allen, I hope you enjoy it, I wish you a pleasant reading!
> 
> If you haven´t checked out our AC/DGM RP, google "White Demon, Red Scribe, Black Nightmare" and enjoy as well.
> 
> °Kinda un-beta-ed, so beware!°

He stood over the body of a young fair-haired man, his dark eyes coldly watching the life blood slowly seeping out and sinking into the wooden floor. He felt no remorse, nor did he feel guilty over what he has done. It has become a part of his life - to make women widows and children orphans. 

His job was to take lives in exchange for money. He got so used to it that he slowly realized it was the only thing he could do. Not that he particularly cared, but he had his weak days during which he wondered what kind of man he would be if he hadn't joined the Dark Brotherhood and promised to hold in reverence both Sithis and the Night Mother.

He walked into the cool night, nodding his head to the guards politely and wishing them goodnight. They greeted back, immediately going back to their former discussion.

Something about dragons? Nah, who cared.

He kept walking, his mind going back to the body of a young man who lost his life by his blade only because of the jealousy of a woman. Poor boy, he thought.

Just as he went beyond the hill, he heard the shouts and sound of alarm the wind carried from the small settlement of Rorikstead.

A smirk formed on his lips as he walked, calmly whistling a song he heard Babette sing to her weird pet, Lis the spider.

He passed Fort Sungard the next night and continued to Hunter's Rest in the Falkreath woods, where he picked up some rumors and bought some food. The two hunters let him stay for some extra gold, so he spent the night with a roof over his head since the other two occupants left to hunt. As soon as the earliest sun reached the peak of the mountain behind him, he moved forward and in the afternoon of the third day, he finally sighted the peak of the Falkreath watchtower.

He walked down the path, idly scoffing at the dark clouds that slowly started to fill the sky. Luckily for him, he reached the door of the Sanctuary as soon as the first raindrop fell from the sky.

He quickly ducked inside and down the stairs.

"Back so soon, Kanda?" Fou asked from where she leaned against the wall.

He nodded. "Nothing difficult. I came to collect my pay."

"Good. The old man says he has another mission for you," she commented as he brushed past her.

"Looks like it's my lucky day."

Kanda went down the stairs that led to the main hall, where he nodded to the Argonian sitting on the floor and idly playing with a blade. He could hear faint voices that no doubt belonged to Gabriela and Festus. Arguing again - like an old married couple. He climbed the next flight of stairs that led to the small hall and turned left to the dining area where Zhu was already waiting for him.

"Job done, old man," Kanda said, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.

"Good, good," Zhu Mei rasped as he scribbled something on a piece of paper, not even raising his eyes from it as Kanda sat across him. "I received another request," he said as he slid the paper over with his feeble shaky hand. "Not as easy as the one you had now."

Kanda took the paper and skimmed it over. "That's all?"

Zhu stared at him with his clouded eye. "Do you even know how to read, boy?" he asked.

Kanda slammed the paper against the table, his temper flaring. The nerve of this old fart! "Of course! That's why I'm asking!"

The elder rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You have become quite lofty, my boy. Be careful where and how you strike."

"You don't need to tell me. I am not a fool. It is just one mage, you can't be even sure whether the guy is as powerful as they say. People tend to exaggerate."

"Be that as it may. Get out of my sight now, I have work to finish." He shooed him off with a wave. Kanda stood up and held his hand out. Zhu's eyes flickered between the hand and Kanda's eyes until he cursed and dropped a bag of coins on the table, which Kanda immediately snatched away and sarcastically murmured his thanks.

"Brat," Zu snapped back and continued in his writing.

Kanda stayed in Falkreath for several days. Nothing was better than to enjoy good sleep in a warm, comfortable bed and eat something else than dry meat, old bread and fruit he picked along the way. He enjoyed the few extra days of loitering around and preparing his things for his next travel.

The destination - Solitude, the capital Skyrim. And his next victim? The local old court mage, Hefadum Snowbeard.

The road to Solitude was uneventful – maybe slightly more than he would have preferred. It was as if everything still breathing shunned his path.

Not a single bandit raid, no hungry wolves attacking out of nowhere, no goats baaing in the distance – even the spriggan that wandered at the edge of the woods turned around after it saw him. It was a boring, not to mention _long,_ journey and Kanda started to wonder what exactly made him decide to go by foot instead of taking a carriage.

He usually didn't mind the solitude, but after the third day of begrudgingly keeping the count of ´things-he-met-along-the-way´ at zero, Kanda almost jumped in relief when he heard the sound of clacking hooves and horse neighs.

But as usual, luck was not on his side again. The carriage driver sped up as soon as he sighted the black-clad assassin behind him – probably thinking he was just another thug that caught up and wanted to cut his throat and steal his horse – which resulted in Kanda having to sprint after the carriage, almost spitting out his lungs in the process. He had half a mind to murder the old man on the spot afterwards, but resolved against it and paid the man to drive him to Solitude.

He reached his destination a few days later, just as the sun was reaching the western part of the sky. The city was quite the uproar - filled with people busting around, fixing poles with red and white ribbons, putting up stalls and tables, tending to fires...

Oh right, tomorrow was the birthday of Jarl Torygg.

Kanda sighed mentally. He couldn't pick a better time for an assassination.

He entered the Winking Skeever - weird name for an inn - and called the keeper.

"I need a room for the night," he said and blinked when the same sentence echoed from beside him. There was a red-haired man standing there, staring back at him.

_Fucking splendid..._

* * *

"White dragon?" The redhead glanced up from a tankard of wine, one eye hidden by an eye patch. Sounded pricey.

"A few of the helping hands around the Blue Palace in Solitude have been talking, and that's what they've been calling it," Vex nodded, skipping straight to business. He always liked that about her. "Some sort of treasure of extreme value, belonging to the Palace's current mage, Hefadum Snowbeard. Could bring us a lot of money."

That was what he liked to hear. The only thing better than the sound of jingling coin was the promise of it.

"Sounds like my kind of work." He grinned self-assurance.

"An' from what I 'ear," Delvin added in a deep, nasally impediment. "...it's goin' t' be the Jarl's bir'f'day soon. Whole city'll be full o' activity an the guards too alert to notice everyone 'at walks by 'em, if you catch my drift."

The redhead's grin only grew wider.

"Well isn't that nice of him," he hummed pleasurably, raising his glass in sort of a mock toast. "Providing us all with such a gift on his very own birthday." That managed to earn a couple of returned smirks as he swigged back his wine, sighing contently at the buzz it gave him. "I'll be off then. Solitude's a long way off."

"Good luck, Junior."

He nodded parting to them and stood, heading from the Flagon into the Cistern, finding the ledger desk where an old man sat over a book.

"Hey, Gramps," he greeted, catching the old man's attention as he leaned his palms on the edge of the table. "I'm heading off an another job. Blue Palace. Goin' after some 'White Dragon'-something-or-other. Might be a nice new addition to our collection, if not something that'll give us a boat-load of coin for the Guild."

Bookman hummed unconcern. Just another day of business, nothing worth getting excited over or holding out hope that it would make them any more rich beyond imagining than any other job. After a moment, he glanced back down at his book, rather than looking directly at his grandson.

"Just don't let your attention wander from your objective, _Lavi_."

So that was to be his alias this time.

He frowned. "Since when do I get distracted?"

Bookman gave him a glare.

Lavi laughed. "Okay, point taken. Don't worry, I'll have my job done and be back before you know it!" He turned to his bed and retrieved a few things from his chest, before heading towards the back exit of the Cistern that let out in the graveyard behind the Keep. "See ya around, you old Cave-Bear!"

"Just get out!" Bookman snapped, throwing something for Lavi's head. Even from a distance, it hit the wall loudly behind Lavi as he barely managed to duck under the throw and ran for the exit laughing. Bookman grumbled under his breath and massaged his temple wearily. "Idiot grandson."

When Lavi reached the street-level, it was early morning and the sun had yet to rise. The only sounds of activity were the sound of crickets chirping from somewhere in the darkness and the occasional guard marching the walkways for signs of trouble.

He headed past the Bee and Barb, between the bunkhouse and mansions, and to the stables just outside the front gate to a waiting gray-mottled horse. He chuckled as the animal perked. He produced an apple from one of his pouches, handing it off to the eager equine and hopped up onto the saddle. petting it appreciatively, they took off down the road at a trot.

He passed by the Riften watchtowers and along the main road toward Fort Greenwall, not wanting to deal with bears and trolls by going around. The bandit guard on the top of the wall stood from their seat when they saw him coming and nocked an arrow.

"That's far enough."

Lavi only smiled innocently at him. "Aw, come on, how many times do we have to do this? You know I'm only passing through."

"We can't just let everyone go walking right through the middle of our fort, expecting them not to try anything," the man shot back.

"But I have no reason to start trouble with you. I just don't want to go the long way around." He tilted his head to the side slightly, his smirk going from innocent to knowing. "So, how _is_ that burn of yours doing?"

"It isn't going to end like it did that first time."

"No?" He tilted his head the other way now, humming contemplation. "I wonder about that..."

The man pursed his lips and glanced across the wall to the camp site where the other bandits were sleeping, shifting uneasily on his feet and shaking his head in indecision. He audibly huffed and lowered his bow, giving the triumphant redhead a glare.

" _One time._ That's all I'm giving you. Next time you come this way, I'm lodging one in that only eye of yours."

Lavi only cheekily grinned at him. "Well thank you kindly! Next time, I'll remember to bring a fireball already ignited."

He flicked the reigns and continued on, passing by Shor's Stone and Shor's Watchtower just as the sun began to crest over the hills. The bear that normally camped out the road just below the watchtower was gone today, so he didn't have to worry about either fighting or running. He was glad for the peace on the way down towards Eastmarch, where the only things to cross his path for some ways were wild goats and a frazzled fox that somehow kept crossing his path and bolting in fright.

He headed left at the first fork he found, barely avoided some wolves on the road, and kept heading straight at the next fork marked with signs, towards Ivarstead, which took him steeply uphill, past red and green ferns, and orange-leaved birch trees.

It began to rain as he crested the top of the road's slope, but all he could do was grumble about it and pull a hood over his head, the morning sunlight quickly overcast by grey clouds. At the very least, he wasn't on that part of the road long enough for to get muddy and become hazardous, what with the steep side-slope and the drop only some feet away from the path.

"Help me! I was attacked!" a man laying on the road barked near a bridge, his belongings, or what seemed to be left of them, scattered about the roadside. Lavi only smiled at him, nodding acknowledgment. He knew this road well and the structure of Nilheim beyond, how bandits often staked someone out by the bridge faking having been raided to lure in unsuspecting passersby, leading them inside to ambush and rob them, while the "victim" was part of the bandits themselves.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to try harder than that. Maybe the next less busy person by will be happier to indulge in your trap."

The man only gaped at him in a 'how-did-you-know' kind of way, but didn't do anything other than lie in wait for someone less suspecting to traipse by, not bothering to ask for help again knowing he was caught nor give himself away by pursuing the redhead.

Lavi stopped only briefly for a drink of water, both himself and the horse, outside Sarethi farm. The glow of a field of Nirnroot crop up the hill hummed at him temptingly, but he reluctantly passed it by. Nirnroot was no comparison to the amount of wealth he'd miss out on if he screwed this job up. He needed to keep focus.

By noon he crossed the Treva river leading into Lake Geir, and an hour after that, he finally reached Ivarstead, splurging on a meal in Vilemyr Inn and sitting by the fire to dry while he contemplated the best route to take from there.

He could always double back and take the mountain pass on the southern side of the Throat of the World, past Hoemar's Shame and Orphan's Rock, then pass through Helgen into Faulkreath, but that would still be a long ways off from Solitude. He might as well be taking a tour of the entire southern border, to go that way.

If he was recalling correctly, there was a pass through the northern side of the mountain, just beyond the stream next to the Troll den that was outside Ivarstead. It would be much quicker than taking the road, and let him bypass not only a lot of bears and frostbite spiders that had a tendency to hang out by the roadside. He could also avoid a confrontation with the bandits that frequently took up residence in the Valheim towers on the White River.

He decided that's what he would do, after resting, eating, and warming up for a good three hours. Sadly, the rains hadn't ceased by then, so he would simply have to tolerate it. Time and money waited for no man who let it slip through his fingers.

Avoiding the troll was easy, walking over the top of the cave from a fair distance, and as luck would have it, the rain ceased just as he crossed the creek, before he got too wet. Right as the dirt road began to head downhill, just beyond a few crumbled stones that only gave hint that a house or gate of some kind might have once stood there, he headed into the trees off the path, knowing this shortcut well. It was certainly much colder than the lowland road, snow blanketing his way, but with the only disturbance being the drumming of a woodpecker and a few scattering goats, he didn't regret his decision to take this route. Not even as the sun began to set before he saw the end of it, bathing the mountainscape orange.

He reached the other side just as the last light of day was painting the horizon of the far mountains with a ring of gold, and by nightfall, he could proudly say he'd reached Whiterun and the Bannered Mare without having even one confrontation or having lost a single coin, which truly made for a great day of travel.

He wished he could say that the next day was nearly so uneventful.

He rode out the next morning before the sun was even up, taking the road past the Western Watchtower in Whiterun's tundra, then right along the north road going by Fort Greymoor. A troupe of bandits had staked out the small bridge ahead, just beneath it, and decided a lone traveler and his horse were easy pickings so far away from any guards patrolling the roads.

It wasn't anything he couldn't handle, leaping his horse over the side into the shallows only a few feet below, but it meant he had to cut across the open tundra rather than take the road. At the very least, he had the river to follow, heading west, but that meant pesky mudcrabs that snipped at the legs of his horse as they sprang up from the ground, and slaughterfish. Slaughterfish were even worse.

The increasing pace of the stream and more abundant rises in the rock told him that he was nearing Hjaalmarch and the place where the Karth and Hjaal river met, sighing. Guess he wasn't going to get to stop and rest in Rorikstead _or_ Morthal now. He'd have to wait until Dragon's Bridge, or just go on straight ahead to Solitude and take his rest then.

He passed a Giant's camp, but didn't dare go anywhere close. Giants hated thieves even more than most other people did. And guard dogs, he could handle. Mammoths were a _completely_ different story.

The river started to turn into falls and rapids, and before long, he spied the bridge over the Karth river, just before Robber's Gorge and the bandit camp that tolled the road.

_'least I won't have to deal with finding a way around them now,_ he thought optimistically, deciding he'd rough it a little further around the wild before finding the road again. He really didn't feel like forking over his money to anyone today. Maybe he'd be getting that stay in Morthal after all. Just... as soon as he figured out his path down the cliffs without killing either him or his horse. He found it, and along with a hidden chest filled with some gold and lock-picks to boot.

He avoided the bandits, but got more mudcrabs in their place. Those weren't nearly as bad as the sabre that sprung out of the brush as he followed the Hjaal river to Morthal, which ended in a dead horse and having to hoof it the rest of the way, muttering complaints the entire way about bad luck and stupid wildcats. Shortly after he had to haul ass past a Frost Troll and down steep, ice-caked rocks on the other side, almost breaking a leg in the meantime.

But _at last_ , Solitude was within his sights!

Distant, but where he could see it none the less.

The Frost Troll was still on his tail, so he sprinted and let it get distracted by a coven of necromancers holing up in Fort Snowhawk, going the way of Morthal. It took longer to reach than he remembered, wondering at first if he'd overshot it until seeing the rocks where a path led into the unwalled Hold. He stopped for a brief drink and some warmth, then went through the marshes to where he knew there was a narrow crossing where he wouldn't get TOO wet, which led to running from more trolls, as well as - who would have guessed it! - more freaking mudcrabs.

"If I have to see so much as one more mudcrap this year, I'm going to scream," Lavi muttered unhappily as he finally, _FINALLY_ , managed to reach the Winking Skeever, hardly even paying attention to who was around him at the moment.

He just wanted some good food, the buzz of some wine or mead, and a warm bed to crash in before he had to deal with his job.

"I need a room for the night," he declared, smacking a handful of coin on the counter, only to realize the exact same phrase came out of someone else's mouth. He turned, already knowing that that voice sounded familiar from somewhere. And oh, was it someone familiar indeed.

For a moment he could only blink, trying to think of something to say. Maybe just a simple greeting, but of course, his tired mind decided that the first thing to do was to be a smartass.

"Jinx, you owe me a drink."


	2. Chapter 2

Kanda stared for a good while until his brain finally delved into the right memories.

"Oh, you again? What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, turning his attention solely on the redhead, completely ignoring the inn keeper.

Just what was the Rabbit doing here? He suddenly had a bad feeling about his mission. The redhead had a very nasty tendency to mess up his plans whenever he showed up and Kanda started to get the feeling that their meetings were anything _but_ coincidental.

But then again, maybe he was just being paranoid.

"Long time, no see to you too, Yuu, and same reason as you, probably." He smiled false innocence. "Here on a job. There's always so much work to be done-" Dishonest work, in both of their cases. "-with such busy festivities as tomorrow, after all. Lots of people needing to be taken care of. You know how it is."

"I'll give you one warning today because I feel generous and I want to rest. Do. _Not._ Call me that!" he snapped back but less fiercely than Lavi would have expected. "And of course I know how it is. I only hope you won't interfere with my business this time."

He still remembered his perfectly planned murder turning into chaos and ashes and a night spent hiding under the stairs in a stinky cellar.

"And what's up with that room?!" Kanda growled at the innkeeper, who jumped in surprise, not expecting the conversation turning towards him that abruptly.

Lavi held his hands up in placation, all the while having no plans of actually complying with such demands

"You're still mad about that? It was _one_ time! _ONE_! Maybe if you were just a little more patient and had waited all of twenty minutes, _like I told you_ , it wouldn't have been such trouble!" But _nooooo_ , of course not. Divines forbid anyone tell Kanda to do anything and expect him to actually do it. He just _had_ to be walking, living, breathing defiance incarnate.

"U-um, yes, we have a room available, however..." the man paused to glance between them. "We only have the one." When he received a stare from both pairs of eyes, he quickly added, "B-but that's still very fortunate, that we have any at all right now, with how many people will be in Solitude for the celebration tomorrow. Unfortunately it's the best I can offer."

Kanda wanted to yell so loud and so much and yearned to repaint the walls in red, but he was way too tired and aching from the bumpy ride to do anything besides glare at the man with all the remaining energy he had and then glaring at the redhead at his side.

Taking out the gold coins out of his pouch, he slapped them on the table and spoke.

"One night, a bottle of ale, and proper dinner," he pointed his finger at Lavi, "and I'm keeping the bed." He finished and headed towards the stairs. "Going to show me our room or shall I choose myself?!"

"Hey, I paid first," Lavi returned without missing a beat, trailing behind Kanda, while the innkeeper was a little more tentative, seeming worried that a fight might break out between the two and not wanting to get caught between them. "So I have full rights to it."

Maybe Kanda was tired from traveling but so was he! He doubted that the guy had roughed it through the open wilds or gone skidding down a cliff side sprinting away from a frost troll. He deserved a bed too, damn it!

So, a dinner, two fights, a broken table, a cracked shelf, and a threat of being manhandled out of the city later; they decided to share the bed for the sake of their profits.

They were awkwardly cramped in the small bed, trying to limit the touching strictly to their backs only. Kanda sighed as he glared daggers at the wall, his arms crossed on his chest with one hand ready to draw the blade from the hidden pocket on his coat.

He really hoped Lavi would keep his mouth shut and let him sleep.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. Hoping for Lavi to keep his mouth shut was like hoping it wouldn't snow in the Jarrol mountains.

"So, who's the unlucky sob this time?" he questioned curiously, now that there were no unwanted ears that might overhear the true nature of their trades. He could definitely say he was probably lamenting sharing a room a lot less than Kanda was, since he didn't mind the contact nearly as much.

Kanda rolled his eyes, sighing. "You want to know so you can ruin everything like the last time?"

"Of course not." Lavi put on his best offended voice. "I'm curious, that's all."

Kanda sighed again, contemplating about pros and cons of telling the redhead.

"The court mage. I received a contract a week ago." He paused, shuffling around to turn his head so he could glare at Lavi at least from the corner of his eye. "If you screw my job up, I'll be taking your head and money instead!" he warned, hoping that he hasn't doomed himself to another three weeks of miserable jobs and minimum sleep by telling him.

Lavi glanced over his shoulder at the same moment as Kanda did at hearing who his target was, staring maybe a few seconds too long with eye only a hint too wide.

How bad would it be if he said he'd been given the same mark? Probably better not to say anything. Better to just turn back around and pretend like it didn't ring any bells.

"Oh, hehe, well good luck!"

Kanda sensed the man's sudden tension. Something was definitely off. He frowned even more, still not moving from the uncomfortable position he lay in even though his neck was beginning to ache.

"What is it?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Lavi dismissed quickly, keeping his back turned. He could still feel Kanda's eyes boring into him like coals despite that he was looking elsewhere, adding a little more tentatively, "I~'m just going to have to make sure I finish up my job before you get to yours."

Kanda gaped for a second.

"Oh hell no!" He sat up, almost knocking Lavi off the bed. "You are going to mess up my job again! Why are you here?! spit it out!"

Yep, and there it was. This is why he'd been trying to keep it on the down-low.

"I already told you - to do a job. Same as you. It ain't like I came here on vacation or anything." Still making it a point not to look directly at the other man.

If looks could kill, Lavi would be dead by now.

"I swear to the divines if you don't spit it out in five seconds I'm gonna throw you out of that window."

"Oh, y'know... thieves business," Lavi hummed, knowing he was edging dangerously close to having Kanda follow through on his threat. "Taking things that may or may not be on the court mage's persons..." he trailed off deliberately. "Before you can get every guard in all of Haafingar on alert with your own business."

"In his possesion...?" Now that he thought about it, maybe there was a chance that he won't mess up.

If he killed the mage, he could leave Lavi to snoop around while he would be on his merry way home before the redhead could have a chance to fuck things up. That sounded like a plan.

"What a coincidence," he hummed, "and what should that something be? I could ask him if he has it before I kill him," Kanda added sarcastically, his mind already counting all the money he could make if he found the item first. After all, Lavi never goes for cheap things.

"Hmmm, now wouldn't Yuu like to know?" Lavi hummed coyly, lacing his fingers and languidly cat-stretched out across the bed, a smirk playing at his lips. He knew his trade better than to possibly give up his scores. Trust was not a word in a thieves' vocabulary when it came to high-price rewards. "Maybe I've forgotten what it was already." He was really only toying at this point and doing nothing to even attempt hiding as much.

Kanda pushed the redhead off the bed with a swift kick to his side, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

"Hey-!" Lavi yelped, just before having an undignified meeting with the floor. He cast a dirty look of his own over his shoulder at the now-solitary occupant of the bed.

"You little shit! Call me that one more time and I'll give you a chance to learn how to fly!" That little asshole has got some nerves! Kanda hmphed and laid back down, turning his glare at the wall again. "It doesn't matter anyway. Just don't screw up until I have what I've come here for."

Lavi blew out a huff and didn't even humor a reply. He considered throwing himself onto the bed and on top of Kanda to boot, just to piss him off. If Kanda wanted to play the asshole game, oh, he could play.

But he had a better idea for revenge in mind.

Pissing off the raven-haired asshole was one thing. Getting under his skin by making him extremely squeamish was another, entirely more effective matter altogether. The redhead smirked, sliding back into bed next to him and encircling him in a cuddly embrace, all the while simultaneously squeezing Kanda's arms tightly to his side. Let's just see him get out of _that_ unflustered.

"C'mon Yuu~ Don't be like that!"

"Wh-GET OFF!" Kanda half-yelled, half-growled as he squirmed in Lavi's deadlocked embrace, only to no avail. He tried overpowering the redhead by trying to wiggle his arms out, but that also led to nothing but another bout of his own frustration.

It was as impossible as trying to mine ebony ores with bare hands.

"I said-" Kanda growled, propping his feet against the wall he was facing, "GET OFF!" He pushed, throwing both of them off the bed which resulted in him landing on the top of the damn thief, successfully squashing him beneath him.

Lavi laughed up until the point Kanda landed on him, letting out a whoosh of air knocked from his lungs. There was some other shouted complaint that wasn't Kanda's, but he ignored it. He didn't relent as Kanda probably first hoped, rolling over and leaning his head against Kanda's shoulder once he had him pinned on the bottom and humming.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice about kicking me out of a bed I _paid_ fair an' square for!"

He let Kanda struggle and swear for a few moments more before letting him go, only to rest an elbow between his shoulder blades instead. Propping his chin on palm, he finally decided that perhaps he'd indulge the man's earlier question after all.

"A dragon."

Kanda reached for his sword, his hand lashing like a pissed off snake, and he was ready to draw and cut the redhead's neck, but what the men said made him pause.

"A dragon?" He cocked a brow as he looked over his shoulder. Elbowing Lavi's left side, he rolled over, sitting up. "Here? Are you dumb?"

"That's what I said," Lavi nodded, sitting up properly and smiling. "He's carrying or got some dragon-something-or-other on him. Worth a lot. Honestly, did you think I meant a _real_ dragon?" Of course he wasn't talking about actual dragons, just expensive items named after them. He was an opportunist, not an idiot!

Just to make absolutely certain, he jabbed a finger meaningfully into Kanda's collarbone.

"And if you try to make off with _my_ job, I'll make certain you botch yours. Fair warning."

Kanda gaped at him for a good while, and then stood up wordlessly and lied down on the bed again. "You can search the corpse after I'm done with him," he said finally. "Now sleep. We're gonna need the rest for today." _In case something gets screwed up_ was left unsaid.

Partially because they both knew that it was a high possibility.

"Well I was planning on it," Lavi returned lightly, standing and dusting himself off before climbing back onto his half, making himself comfortable facing elsewhere. "Before someone so _rudely_ kicked me out of bed."


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the night was uneventful but sleepless for Kanda. By the time he got used to the warmth of Lavi's back - which he could compare to a burning funace - the roosters were already crowing outside, so that left him with roughly four or five hours to sleep.

The only good thing about the morning was the breakfast and fresh ale. Kanda and Lavi parted ways around afternoon, each going to scout their own way but not before they agreed on exchanging the information they gathered later.

It was a pleasant surprise to find out that the party was held in the courtyard of Castle Dour, which was on the exact opposite side of town as the Blue Palace. It seemed like the odds were in his favor this time.

Idly walking around the houses and stopping every hour to see if the guards have changed or moved, Kanda made his way through the whole northern part of the city without as much as being looked at. Everyone in the place was too busy with the preparations to notice someone out of place.

When the evening came, he blended into the crowds, allowing himself to watch the entertainment, listen to the Jarl's overly dramatized and very boring speech, to which everyone cheered and clapped. When the music started playing, Kanda retreated to the tables with food to catch up with what he neglected during the day.

The best thing was that he didn't even have to search for his target. The old and very feeble-looking court mage made his appearance during the Jarl's speech, doddering around with a weird looking white-clad lad at his side who looked as if he swallowed a lemon. Truth be told, Kanda wouldn't even notice the old fart if it wasn't for said lad.

At first he though he saw the mage's ghost, but after a closer inspection he realized that it was really what the boy - or man, it was very hard to tell to be honest - looked like. White hair, white face, white robes... everything about him was white. Well, except the scar on his face - that was red.

After watching the two and judging that his target would not easily run away from him, he walked out through the arch and waited in the shadows for Lavi to arrive.

* * *

While Kanda was patrolling routes and watching guard shifts, Lavi was doing his own preemptive measures to make sure everything went smoothly. He didn't immediately go for his theft, instead working on arranging his plans of how and where to leave the city when he and Kanda did each of their jobs.

That meant planning his route out of the city, first and foremost. The front gates were the least guarded, but it was also where literally everyone would be coming in and out of. That was as much a possible hindrance as it was an advantage. The alternative path through the windmill passage though was a no-go without either a distraction, or spilling some blood - which would draw attention.

He waited around the docks of the East Empire Trading Company just outside Solitude for a while until he saw what he was waiting for, a small, unattended dingy boat, which he naturally made off with without alerting anyone, in plain sight the way only an experienced thief could.

He knew, just given the general nature of people, how far the confused person he took it from would expend the time and energy to search for it, and hid it just a small bit further away than that on the other side of the great rocky arch that held up the residential district and Blue Palace, dragging it up onto some rocks where it was hidden and wouldn't be claimed and carried off by the tides. He even went so far as to sprinkle the inside with some snow and dirt, to give it the appearance it had already been there for some time, in case anyone _did_ find it after all.

They might not really even need the boat, if it turned out they could just walk out the front, but it never hurt to have a back-up plan and the guards would be slower to search across the waters than on the main road, if they searched there at all.

That done, he returned to the city. The next piece was to find someone he could bribe into causing a distraction when the time came, just in case. That was much easier and quicker.

Next order of business was to see if he could locate the White Dragon he was meant to steal off with, now that the guards would be more busy and less able to watch every nook and cranny.

It took some time to sneak around properly. Distracted or not, the Blue Palace was still quite filled with people making preparations, and there was only so much one could get away with before coming off as suspicious. Even so, he managed to search every corner that was likely to hold such a treasure without getting caught, but unfortunately, nothing even _remotely_ bringing to mind dragons, much less white ones, caught his trained eye. The only thing his search turned up was unattended food that no one was watching until after it was mysteriously gone.

That meant that he would probably have to pick it off the body of the old man after all.

Since he'd made all his necessary preparations and unsuccessfully searched for the hiding soon-to-be-his treasure, he headed to his rendezvous with Kanda, offering him a smile as he came to rest his back against the wall just out of plain sight.

"Hey, Yuu. Found what you were looking for?" He didn't doubt as much, but since Kanda was still here and there was no stir of panic, he'd guess that the man hadn't had his chance to strike just yet.

That or he was being generous and waiting for Lavi to arrive, so he could make off with his dragon item when the old man met his end, which was far less likely but still a possibility.

Kanda nodded, jerking his head to the side, gesturing to where the party was taking place. "Did you?" Judging by the not-really-happy smile the man put on, he didn't. "Want to snoop around the palace for a while? We could find something to split evenly. Besides, the old man won't last long there. He'll have to retire from the celebration sooner or later."

"I already snooped quite thoroughly," Lavi said, before smiling. "But that is still an excellent idea." At least Kanda had done the work of identifying his target for him. Seemed that having the same target carried some benefit, at least. Falling into step, he added quietly, "and if we get into a bind, I took some measures ahead of time that will help us wriggle out of it. Y'know, just in case."

Kanda hummed thoughtfully, his mind already wondering about how he should deal with the few, quite distracted guards ahead.

Taking care of them turned out to be child's play - they each took one, knocked them out and dragged their bodies into the shadows behind the pillars, but not before relieving them of all their coins.

Really, such a poor vigilance during such an important way. They didn't even have to worry about being found inside the place since the cooks were moved outside to tend to the fires.

They looked around for a while, "cleaning up" the stashed precious stones and soul gems laying around in a way that _screamed_ "pick me up".

They went through the Jarl's chamber, and while Lavi picked the lock on a display case with weapons in the nearby room, Kanda searched the cupboards and bookcases.

"The heck?" he suddenly asked, tapping Lavi on his shoulder and pointing ahead.

"What, is someone coming?" Lavi asked, not looking up until his lock-pick gave a nasty little _snap_ that left him cursing under his breath, while an Elven Greatsword in pristine condition taunted him from the other side of the display case's glass.

He only spared a glance, then did a double-take.

First off, chickens weren't supposed to be in a palace unless they were on the cook's butcher block, certainly not let to wander around freely. Everyone knew that.

Second, this chicken was the girth of a Wolfhound's chest. In other words, it was _huge_.

"What the hell do they feed it? Human flesh?" Kanda wondered, squinting at the clucking animal.

"That's..." Lavi trailed off, before laughing as a dirty little thought turned his phrase. "That's a big cock." The look Kanda shot in his direction was priceless and he would have burst out laughing if he didn't hear a door downstairs and a pair of footsteps echoing through the halls, announcing that they were no longer alone.

Kanda grabbed the thief by his collar and dragged him to the wall by the exit. Better to catch the intruder right away if was coming to the room.

"You don't have to yank me so hard, I know how to hide," Lavi admonished in a whisper, letting Kanda get a view of who was entering first, before he craned his head out to get a look as well.

A raspy voice echoed from the hall, but they couldn't pick up what exactly was said. There was shuffling of clothes and a yelp that definitely wasn't from the same source as the first voice. Kanda leaned slightly to look outside and spotted the old wizen court mage shoving the white haired boy in front of him with much more force than he would have expected from a man that looked as if he could fall apart any second.

"Move, my little treasure. I'm already dying of thirst!" the mage growled, grabbing the white-haired man's arm and dragging him to the room next to where Kanda and Lavi were hiding.

"What is it with old people and being overtly cranky?" It was more a rhetorical question and Lavi didn't expect Kanda of all people to give him an answer anyway. They crept out to follow and peered around the corner towards the room just ahead, until they saw the man and white-haired lad disappear from view again. Lavi silently motioned that it was clear to move even closer.

They silently moved further, stopping in front of the door that led to the mage's room and peeked in just in time to see Hefadum shove the lad onto his bed and take out a knife.

Kanda glanced at Lavi with a confused frown on his face, mouthing _´what the hell?´_

Lavi shrugged, just as confused, but then when he thought about it, a lot of mages and others who dabbled in the arcane arts of magick had some very... questionable practices. He recalled what the old man had said just before disappearing not more than a few minutes earlier - something about being thirsty? - silently sending back _`Maybe he's a vampire?'_

Nasty creatures, those vampires. Difficult to spot and had more of an inkling towards magicks, if he recalled correctly. How hard would it be for one to pretend to be an ordinary mage in public and then feed on servants in private? Not very hard, if they were smart.

They watched as the mage climbed onto the bed between the struggling lad's legs and ripped his white robes open, digging the tip of the knife under his breastbone and dragged it downwards. The white boy made a noise that was something between disgust and pain while glaring at the man who meanwhile bent over and drank the blood that seeped out of the wound.

Kanda watched with his mouth gaping until the boy thrashed again, trying to push the mage off him. That snapped him out of the stunned shock. He carefully drew his sword and pushed the right wing of the door open, thanking gods that the hinges were well oiled, and crept forward.

Before his prey even realized what was happening, Kanda already had the sword piercing his heart.

Lavi stood back, letting Kanda go to his work with frightening, surgical precision, not even making a sound. Really though, one should expect nothing less from one of the Brotherhood's best, if not their _very_ best, assassin.

Really, Lavi was quite aware that at least half of the time, the fact that Kanda didn't literally slaughter him was that he chose not to, not that he couldn't if he really tried. He'd have to try hard, but still, the redhead was sure it could be pulled off for the right amount of motivation.

Since the target was dead, and he still had a prize of his own to collect, Lavi finally sauntered into the room, as if skipping through a field of flowers rather than into a scene of brutal murder.

" 'told you he was probably a vampire or something," he tossed, his gaze only briefly flitting over the younger man, perhaps a second or two longer than he would normally afford given that just about every inch of him was so white it bordered on offensive to the eyes. He turned his attention back to the old guy quickly bleeding out and taking his last gasps.

" _Ahst laat_!" the white man on the bed spoke suddenly, his eyes fixed on the dying mage. "My voice is back! I'm free!" He got off the bed, hastily re-adjusting his robes and brushing past Lavi. He stood over Hefadum with a victorious smile on his face. "I've waited so long to see you dead!"

"Not... free," Hefadum gasped weakly, laughing.

The white boy frowned and looked at his hands for a brief while before gasping and kneeling next to the man, grabbing the edges of the mage's black robes, violently shaking him. "Why is the spell not broken yet, _mun_?! DAMN YOU!" he yelled when the man's body went limp.

Kanda and Lavi exchanged a long look.

"Now what?"

Lavi merely shrugged. "Well, you got what you came for. Now it's my turn."

He rubbed his hands together eagerly. Hopefully this dragon statue would be worth the trouble.

He tapped the white-haired man on his shoulder to get his attention, giving the other male a cheery, imploring smile. " 'scuse me for a moment, I just need to check him for something, then you can go back to trying to shake the life back into his bloody corpse in vain."

The lad slapped his hand away, backing off.

"Don't touch me! And who are you anyway?" he asked, his eyes flickering between the redhead and Kanda, who regarded him with a raised eyebrow as he cleaned his sword off.

"Your knights in shining armor, apparently," Lavi laughed good-naturedly, starting to search through the pockets and folds of the dead mage's robes. "Well, he is anyway," he motioned over his shoulder with his head, without really looking at Kanda. "I'm here for other matters."

Lavi frowned as he checked and double-checked for the item of interest, not overlooking the fact that this White Dragon thing could, in fact, be very small, but he found nothing worth taking.

"Damn it! It's not here either."

The white boy got to his feet, backing up some more, his frown growing into a more confused form.

"Have you checked properly?" Kanda offered, sheathing his sword and looking around idly. "Maybe he has some hidden pockets sewn into his garbs." He shrugged when Lavi rolled his eyes at him. "What about the cabinets? Have you checked those?"

"I was here half the day earlier. Where in Oblivion do you think I searched first?" It was a statement more than it was the question he worded it as. "He must have it hidden somewhere unusual. I mean, he'd have to know other people would want it if it was really so valuable."

He thought a moment more before glancing towards the lad that had been shoved along at the old man's whim.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to know about something called the White Dragon, would you? Y'know, white... probably resembles a dragon... probably worth a lot of money and hidden somewhere not easy to find. You spent a lot of time around the guy after all, right?"

The boy stared at him, his mouth slightly agape. A second later, with a tilt of his white head and a voice of pure confusion he said:

"The White Dragon is not a something. _I_ am a White Dragon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics in Allen's dialogue - Dovahzul - the Dragon Language.


	4. Chapter 4

A heavy silence fell in the room until Kanda snorted, hiding his smile with his hand.

Lavi stared and snorted almost at the same moment as Kanda did, exchanging a quick glance just before Kanda could entirely hide his own amusement, and buckled over, laughing solidly for a good half a minute before he could even _begin_ to rein himself back under control.

"Good one! You even got a laugh out of Yuu over there. That, my friend, takes talent!" He stood and dusted himself off, a few chuckles still lingering. "I see we found ourselves a jester over here! No, but seriously, where is it?"

The lad frowned even more and just as he took a breath to make his reply, another set of voices echoed from downstairs.

"The guards," he whispered and moved to the door. "Quick! Kill them!" he said hastily, gesturing outside. "Do something!"

" 'must have found the guards knocked out outside."

Lavi only chuckled under his breath, patting the crazy stranger's shoulder lightly as though he had not a care in the world.

"Relax, kid! You're amongst professionals. Yuu, put that old guy on the bed, make him look like he's just sleeping or somethin', then hide behind that door. You, Snowy, go hide behind that other door and stay silent."

He trotted across the room, igniting a small flame in-hand and lighting up the wood furniture in the far corner, tipping over a candle on a small table, just to make it appear a little less deliberate.

Once he had that done, he squeezed in behind the door next to the white-haired lad, holding the door close so that they were pressed against the wall, right as the guards were coming through. Their attention immediately focused on the raging flames and passed by the doors without even glancing behind them or yet checking the old man in the bed who was 'oddly' not roused by the heat of the flames or smell of smoke.

Kanda jerked his head as a sign for them to make their escape. Once they were outside the room they ran downstairs. He was fully intending to march through the front door, until the white haired brat grabbed their arms and stopped them.

"Not that way, are you mad? This way!" he whispered furiously and moved to the door on the right, shuffling through his clothes until he found a key. "This is the Pelagius Wing. Nobody comes here because the fools believe it is cursed. Come on!" he urged them, jumping slightly when he heard the guards shout in alarm from upstairs.

Once they were all inside, he broke into a run, leading the way though the creepy rooms and corridors covered in dust and cobwebs. They run down two flights of half-rotten wooden stairs until they came to a wall barred by wooden planks.

"Tear those down and go outside! Quick!" the white boy ordered, pointing his finger at the barricade.

"Got some nerve for a little brat," Kanda scoffed nastily, but did as he was told. He didn't fancy being caught.

"At least he's helping us instead of ratting us out," Lavi pointed out lightly, helping pull the boards off in rapid succession and set them down so as not to make too much noise and draw attention, just in case anyone might hear it.

He popped the window open once it was free of its barricades and climbed out first, whistling impressment from the window sill as he got an above-view of the docks and farmsteads outside of the city, as well as all the land beyond that. "Wow, nice view. Try not to slip on anything, cuz it's a long way down."

Having given this warning, he carefully climbed down the side onto the rock-face just outside the walls of Solitude, the high-altitude breeze playing with his hair.

The boy struggled to climb through the window, holding his long, still-pristine white robes like a woman would hold her skirt and steadied himself with a hand on Lavi's shoulder.

When he stepped forward, jumping onto a boulder beneath them, Kanda awkwardly shuffled on the spot, throwing Lavi a questioning look.

"What are you waiting for?" the boy asked, looking back at them.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but..." Lavi trailed off and peered his head over the edge cautiously. "We're precariously on the edge of a drop that could kill a man, water or not." He pointed to the side. "We're taking this way. It's quicker."

And by 'quicker' he meant that they'd still actually be alive to even _see_ the other side of the shore.

The boy rolled his eyes, murmured something under his breath and turned around.

"Oi!" Kanda yelped, quickly climbing down to where the boy was standing and reached for him, only a second too late. Both men watched with eyes wide and ready to fall out of their sockets as the boy dipped forwards and fell off the cliff. Kanda stared at the place where the boy was not a second ago, holding his arm still outstretched.

A splash echoed somewhere beneath them a good five seconds afterwards, signaling that the crazy boy hit the water.

Kanda edged forward and peeked over the edge just in time to see the lad's white head resurface and swim to the bank. Ever so slowly he turned to look at Lavi who seemed to be in just as big shock as he was.

Lavi was just as speechless, staring for several more seconds before he backed himself to the wall and flattened against it, breathing out a long, steadying breath.

"And that just confirms it. He's crazy. Utterly insane." And he wasn't, nor was he stupid, so he was going to take the same route as originally planned and let the lunatic freeze his ass off in the inlet. Or get eaten by Horkers. Or any manner of other stupid shit that befell such blatant fools. "Coming?" he tossed as he edged along the rocks towards the other side where they could climb down.

Kanda wordlessly nodded, following the redhead as they slowly made their way down the cliff.

They both cursed as they slipped countless times, their bodies tensed and sweaty even despite the frosty air. When they reached the ground, the boy was seated on the nearby rocks with his arms crossed on his chest, waiting.

"That took you a while," he commented, shaking his head.

Kanda wanted to snap something back at him but when he saw the, yet again, unblemished state the boy was in, his words froze in his throat.

"What the hell? Are you insane?

"I think we've already established that he is," Lavi pointed out, picking another rock to sit on and regain some of his composure. Climbing down the rocks hadn't been nearly as easy as he had been hoping, but any falls and scrapes couldn't have been nearly as bad as hitting the water from that height.

Which raised the question of how the kid looked so unaffected. Maybe crazy was just a normal routine of his.

"Anyway, Snowy, about that treasure thing that belonged to the mage..."

The lad frowned at the redhead, hopping down from his stone and stabbed a finger at him. "I am no _´Snowy´_! Stop calling me that!"

"You're a brat and we can call you whatever we like. Now spit it out," Kanda threatened, but the boy seemed more offended than scared.

"So what are you looking for again?" he asked instead, focusing back on Lavi.

"Something called the White Dragon." Honestly, had he really forgotten already? "It's supposed to be worth a lot, from what I hear, and the details were very clear that it belonged to this Hefadum guy, or so the servants around the palace have been talking about." And if anyone knew the secrets of such a place, it was those who were charged with up-keeping every corner of it, and had less reason to keep such treasures secret.

The next frown the white boy made was more like a childish pout but his unhappiness with that statement was still evident.

"Alright," he began, taking a deep breath. "I will help you obtain it, under one condition though!" he said, raising his delicate finger again.

Kanda and Lavi exchanged a long look.

"I'm all ears," the assassin offered skeptically, cocking an eyebrow.

"To get this _item_ of yours, you need a scroll - that old bastard has hidden it pretty well, after all. The scroll makes you... see the ´White Dragon´and I will lead you there, if you promise to protect me along the way," he finished, crossing his arms on his chest confidently.

Lavi stroked his chin in thought. A scroll that revealed where it was? He exchanged an indecisive glance with Kanda.

"What? Like... some sort of treasure map to where it is? Or that it's actually invisible without the scroll?" Magick could be a very versatile thing in the right hands, after all. There were ways for people to turn invisible. Why not items too?

"It is more like... yes, it's invisible," he struggled with his words. "But in any case, you can also sell the scroll for a nice sum of money I believe. I heard that the scroll has more powers than only revealing hidden items."

"And how do we know you won't screw us over? Lead us into a trap or anything?" Kanda asked, scowling.

"Look," the boy sighed, throwing his hands in the air, "the bastard had me on a leash. Do I look like someone that could lead two killers into a trap without any preparation? Also I need your protection for a while. At least until we get the scroll. Then we can merrily part ways, you with your money and me on my way home."

A scroll with more power than just revealing hidden items of great worth? That was worth a lot of coin on its own as well?

This White Dragon sure must be worth a lot if the man was going to such lengths to hide it. And now this scroll thing on top of it? Lavi could almost smell the riches now.

Of course there were lots of spell scrolls out there that were worth a lot of money. Some could go for the price of a couple hundred gold. Was this one unique, or did the guy just buy into rumors and not know what the value of those were on a normal standard?

"So, uh... this scroll... any idea what kind it is? Most are only enchanted with one purpose, so what makes this one different, that it can do multiple things?"

The lad shrugged. "Ever heard of the Elder Scroll? I know it can give you´the sight´ and with that you can find different valuable things."

Lavi froze, his mouth falling open and staring long enough to make the white-haired figure uncomfortable with it, before suddenly jumping up as if there was a spring attached to his butt.

"The E-Elder Scroll?! You- You know where that is?" He almost started hyperventilating, grabbing Kanda by the shoulders and shaking him more than was probably healthy for anyone intending to keep their arms attached to their body. "Yuu! Do you know what this means for us?! Do you?!"

Kanda tch-ed, brushing Lavi's hand off him and stepping to the side to distance himself from the bouncing rabbit. "No? Should I?" he asked, slightly hesitating. The name rung a bell but he couldn't quite remember why.

"Have you never heard of the Elder Scroll? By the Nine! Yuu! It's said to be an Aedric artifact created by the Divines! Do you know how much that would be worth?! Imagine it! Owning something said to be created by the Gods themselves! We'll be swimming in so much gold the Emperor himself would be envious!"

The boy smiled victoriously, swaying on his heels. "Do we have a deal?"

Lavi pounced on the white-haired boy, squeezing him tightly.

"Gods almighty! Of course we'll do it! I'd kiss you if I didn't think you'd beat me bloody for it!"

Kanda rolled his eyes but to hide his own excitement. If what Lavi said was true, and the scroll thing was worth so much, he would be swimming in money instead of the blood of his victims.

The white boy scrunched his nose, taking a step back.

"Don't even think about getting that mouth near to me. So, do we have a deal? You protect me until we find the Elder Scroll and then you let me go."

Kanda nodded with a smirk, waiting for Lavi's reaction. Sure, they'll protect the brat. As long as he held on to his _deal_.

"Did I stutter or something? Of course! We'd have to be more insane than you are to pass up that kind of opportunity!" he declared, bouncing excitedly.

Between him and Kanda, they could pull it off. Kanda was the best Assassin the Brotherhood had seen in _decades_ , at least. He was a pretty good thief himself and had done more than his fair share of spelunking in his lifetime, and still come out of it alive and in-tact no matter the dangers.

They practically had it in their hands already. All they would have to do was go to wherever this kid was leading, and if it turned out to be a load of bullshit, the kid would quickly find out how bad it was to go back on such a high-stakes deal against such people.

Especially Kanda, whose tolerance for double-cross fell into the negatives range and propensity for sewing regret into such unwise people could rival that of a Deadric prince.

"Splendid," the boy said, clapping his hands together. He then looked around as if only now noticing that they are still around and very close to the city. "So, you have anywhere to stay, uhh... I didn't catch your names?"

"Kanda, and gods protect you if you call me anything else. There is a house that belongs to the Brotherhood nearby. We could spend the night there and we can decide what to do next."


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm Lavi by the way," the redhead piped, folding his arms behind his head and smiling widely, still fidgeting with excited energy. "Nice to meet ya, Snowy. And that is an excellent idea, Yuu."

"Not Snowy, my name is Allen!" The boy frowned.

"Whatever brat," Kanda scoffed brushing past him, heading to where the hut was. "Let's go."

"Nice to meet you too, ass" Allen muttered, following the man.

"I heard that!" the black-haired man shot back, throwing a nasty glare over his shoulder.

Lavi laughed aloud as he sauntered behind them, taking up the rear. Mainly since Kanda knew where the hut was and he wanted to make sure that their little human treasure map didn't go walking off never to be seen again.

"Looks like you two are already getting along swimmingly!" he teased.

Their walking was filled with more silence than Lavi preferred to have when he actually had other people around to talk to, but he already knew Kanda wasn't a conversationalist, and as far as the Allen kid was concerned, it was a little hard to gauge if he just couldn't find something to talk about or if he, too, didn't like to.

Finally he had enough silence.

"Man, you guys are boring! I know what'll liven things up. Some good old, traditional song!" He could almost feel the eyes he couldn't see in Kanda's head roll.

_"There once was a hero named Ragnar the Red, who came riding to Whiterun from ole Rorikstead! And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade, as he told of bold battles and gold he had made!"_

If his off-key singing earned any sort of disapproval, he skillfully managed to miss it.

_"But then he went quiet, did Ragnar the Red, when he met the shieldmaiden Matilda who said... `Oh, you talk and you lie and you drink all our mead! Now I think it's high time that you lie down and bleed`!"_

He heard Kanda bark at him to shut up, making some threat about making him be the one to bleed next, but only smirked and sung - terribly - a little louder, posing with a hand on his collarbone and the other extended skyward.

_"And so then came the clashing and slashing of steel, as the brave lass Matilda charged in full of zeal! And the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no moooooree..."_

He froze as his voice was echoed by a noise that sounded strangely like a distant roar, exchanging a confused, startled glance with his companions.

"That... that wasn't me..." he defended, just before a huge shadow swooped by and he heard the beating of wings - large wings - above them, glancing up as a figure larger than a mammoth soared straight over them.

"HOLY-"

The two men stared at the sky as an ashen colored dragon swooped down with a deafening roar, knocking them both off their feet. They were so stunned by the creature that they completely missed Allen's happy laugh and a gibberish yell.

First time in his life, Kanda had to admit that he felt a spike of fear stab his body, but it was quickly forgotten as he noticed the white brat run towards the huge beast, waving his hands around and shouting nonsense.

He quickly drew his sword and yanked the boy behind him, instantly regretting the deed as the dragon roared again, snapping his head at him.

Kanda was glad for the years of training and killing because in situations like these, which rarely occurred, his body was moving reflexively, so he luckily dodged the dragon's attack.

"No!" Allen wailed under him as he stood up and swung his blade at the beast, nicking its muzzle. Too bad it only made it more furious.

If Lavi's eye could get any wider, it would be the moon.

He'd seen a lot of things in his time, some a lot stranger than others. He'd even seen Frostbite spiders large enough that it'd make a Giant nervous. This, though... this was purely insane.

And Kanda was... oh for the love of Akatosh, was he seriously going after it?!

He scrambled to his own feet and sprinted towards them, his mind racing. Okay... drag the soft-headed kid out of the way, then worry about the dragon. That Elder Scroll was useless to them if the person who they needed to find it was dead. Then worry about the dragon if Kanda didn't follow to retreat.

Great. Sounded like a plan.

He grabbed Allen by the upper arms and dragged him backwards so he wouldn't be in Kanda's way, trying to put him back on his own feet.

"Look, I know you're completely mad, but you need to move your ass! It ain't safe here!"

Allen struggled against him and yelled in his weird language but Lavi managed to get him behind him in the end.

"Hurry up and help me here!" Kanda bellowed from where he struggled to keep himself alive, stabbing and slashing the progressively more agitated dragon. "Distract him for fucks sake! I can't keep him occupied any longer! Aaargh!" He yelped, throwing himself to the side when the dragon tensed again and breathed frost of all things.

Why not fire? It was cold enough without the damn wyrm's input.

Dragging the white-haired male behind a cluster of trees, Lavi finally let him go and pointed a finger, barking, "You, stay."

The redhead whirled around and sprinted back towards the fight, just as Kanda was shouting for assistance. He circled around to the opposite side as it chased Kanda, forming a ball of fire in his palm and letting it fly into the side of the dragon's head, earning a roar out of it that was more annoyance than anything.

It managed to get its attention though.

"Hey, Scaly! It's just like a dumb lizard to bring ice to a fire-fight," he taunted, firing off another fireball into its side. The dragon snarled and whirled on him, clawing across the ground with its wings with a vengeance and opening its jaws to spray more ice. The redhead likewise turned on his heel and bolted, managing to miss getting turned into a popsicle but only just barely, yelping "Divines almighty that's cold!"

Allen cried in horror as he watched the two men and a dragon fight. He screamed in his weird language again when he saw the black-haired swordsman tumble to the ground under the wyrm and pierce its scaly skin with his blade.

The dragon screeched, throwing his head from side to side, spraying the blood over the frosty ground.

"LAVI, NOW!" Kanda yelled as he retrieved his weapon and stabbed the beast's breast.

Lavi darted around the beast as it thrashed and snarled, unlatching his warhammer from his back as he went towards its head.

The beast roared at him and snapped its jaw out, the thief ducking back and using his weapon to block, which caught the hints of its gaped jaws that came within inches of snapping around his head. He could hear and feel it sucking in a breath, predicting that it was planning on turning him into a block of ice, and fired off a fire spell down its throat, the beast shrieking and snapping its head up, tossing him into the air.

Hitting the ground hurt, most certainly, but probably not nearly as much as that fire had, nor the blow to the side of its head from the metal end of his hammer when he recovered back to his feet and gave his weapon a hefty swing against one of its eyes.

The dragon recoiled with a painful bloodcurdling screech that made the two fighting men stagger. Allen cried and pleaded them to stop but they were too engrossed in the battle and worries about their own lives.

Kanda was the first one to recover.

He gripped his sword tightly and carefully stepped towards the squirming dragon, waiting for a good time to strike. And the time came when the wyrm stilled, trying to gather its breath once more. Even if it was for a split of it was enough for Kanda to make his finishing strike.

He sprung forwards without hesitation and thrust his long black sword into the dragon's damaged eye all the way up to the hilt. Kanda was thrown back as the beast jerked his head but he knew the fight was over.

With a last wailing sound, the dragon fell to the ground, dead.

Lavi kept his weapon ready as the beast thrashed its last before collapsing, watching it carefully to see if it was going to get up again, but it seemed Kanda had managed to finish the beast off.

The redhead whistled impressment and came closer, cautiously tilting his head at it and nudging its snout with his foot, just to be _absolutely_ certain, still holding his hammer in case it sprang to life and tried to eat him.

"Geez, you don't mess around, Yuu," he teased faintly, eye tracing over its form in disbelief, now that he had a chance to really look at it instead of being focused on making sure he didn't end up frozen, mauled, or eaten by it. One part of his mind kept circulating over and over that this was a real, living - ...okay, so not really living and breathing anymore, but moments ago it _had been_ \- dragon, yet another part of his mind kept spitting back that that was entirely inane!

Allen shoved past the two men, sinking to his knees in front of the dead dragon, his hand uncertainly hovering above the beast's head.

"What have you done?!" He sobbed, carefully touching the bloody scaled head. "Why did you do this?" he asked with a weak, disbelieving voice.

A sound like fire spitting on wet wood reached his ears and Lavi instinctively stepped back as veins of fire seemed to spring to life all across its thick scales, its body lighting up with wisps of flame and chunks of its scaled hide falling off onto the soil.

The white boy startled when the dragon's scales started to disappear. Lavi tensed, not sure what to expect next. Kanda gave Lavi a look when the kid mewled and started patting around the dead beast in panic as if trying to keep the scales and flesh from burning away.

A second later there was a dull sound neither of them could place. A wind suddenly rose and coiled around then, momentarily blinding and deafening them and when it was gone and the dragon was nothing else but a pile of bones, Kanda and Lavi looked at each other again, both uncertain what just happened.

Kanda clenched his fist and feeling something foreign stir inside him. His eyes then fell on the white haired kid crouching by the dragon's bones, staring at them in evident horror.

Lavi exchanged a glance with Kanda before shrugging his shoulders helplessly, not really sure why Allen was so distraught with them nor why he seemed to be taking issue with the slaying of a beast that had moments ago attacked them out of the blue.

"Is there something strange about killing something that tried to kill you first?" The look the lad was giving them, as if he'd just seen some terrible ghost, was baffling to him.

Allen opened his mouth to reply but he shut it up right after, shaking his head and scrambling backwards.

No, this definitely cannot be happening to him! What did he do to the gods that they would bring him together with, not one, but TWO dragonborn?! He felt like his life was just considerably shortened. And he was stupid enough to tell them he was a dragon! What was he thinking?!

"Oi, you alright?" Kanda asked as he stepped closer, taking out his Ebony blade from the dragon's skull. He could see that the white brat was close to passing out. "Hey what's wr-"

"NO!" Allen screamed, slapping Kanda's outstretched hand. They are going to kill him, he thought. They are going to murder him and take his soul!

"OI!" Kanda shouted as the kid bolted, heading towards the moors. "Idiot! Do you want to get yourself killed?!" That stupid brat was running right towards a nest of Chaurus! "Lavi!" he yelled as he ran after the kid, ready for another fight.

Lavi was just as confused by Allen's sudden behavior, but didn't have the time to ponder it as the white-haired male bolted across the moor blindly as if daedra themselves were at his heels, the redhead springing into a run.

He didn't try to go directly for Allen from behind, instead sprinting to get ahead and cut him off, the Chaurus becoming alert to them and scuttling through the brush with ravenous intention. The redhead batted one hard in the side of its head before it could reach Allen and sink its pincers into him, planting a foot under its chest while it was still dazed and kicking it over a short stone ledge so that it flailed on its back momentarily, before he turned his attention back to the still-fleeing Allen.

"Hey! Hold up!"

But Allen wasn't listening. He was too panicked to focus on anything else than the run and both men had to admit that the little bugger was faster than he seemed. He was so fast in fact that Kanda had a little bit of trouble catching up with him. He sliced the Chauruses as he ran, hoping that none of their poisonous spits hit the fleeing insane brat.

Allen took a quick glance behind him, and when he spotted the black haired assassins catching up with him he paused only long enough to muster the last bit of power he felt inside of him and screamed.

" _Fo Krah Diin_!"

He felt hope when he felt his Thu´um work but when he opened his eyes and saw that he only managed to cover the man and the land if front of him in a pathetic layer of frost and snow, he felt his own blood freeze.

His Shout didn't work! His Thu´um was still hindered by that blasted mage's spell!

Allen spun around to run again, glad that his little stunt at least surprised the man and won him a few seconds of headstart.

"Did he just...?" Kanda gaped, covered in snow and frost, not even noticing when exactly did Lavi join him.

"I don't know what that was," Lavi stated honestly, shaking his hair out just behind Kanda and sprinkling the ground with a dusting of frost that clung to his red locks. It wasn't any sort of spell that he had ever seen used before, but somehow he thought he might have some sort of suspicion as to what it might be.

He jumped as a Chaurus scuttled towards them from the brush and blasted it with fire, the creature shrieking and falling dead, before turning his attention back to their chase.

"What I do know is time for standing around is up!" And with the promise of an item worth more gold than most could even dream about riding on the lunatic that was fleeing away from them, he was positively not going to allow Allen to get away or get eaten by some swamp beast.

It was in chasing Allen that they ended up, coincidentally, finding their initial destination anyway; the empty house on the moor that belonged to the Brotherhood.

Allen's heart made a happy skip when he spied the shack ahead and forced his feet to move faster. He dared to take a glance behind and let out an involuntary shriek when he saw that the two men were not far behind.

He didn't even notice the blood on the door when he hastily tore it open and dashed inside. Of course, he wasn't thinking straight. It was so long since he'd been in a situation like this. And when he finally turned around and looked around the room he realized his mistake.

The walls were covered with blood both old and new, the reek of death burned his nostrils and made him blanch, and when his eyes fell on the three half-rotten bodies on the right, Allen couldn't hold back a horrified shriek.

Kanda tched when he heard the high-pitched scream from inside.

"Oh damn." He cussed, scratching the back of his head. "We forgot to clean up."


	6. Chapter 6

Lavi managed to overtake Kanda by a stride or two as the man slowed to a halt, but quickly glanced back at the assassin's words.

"Forgot to clean-...?" He trailed off and his single eye trailed to the old blood outside, mostly weathered away by the elements but still visible enough. It took a couple seconds for his mind to connect the dots and he almost let out a shriek of his own, though in exasperation rather than horror. "For Arkay's sake, Yuu! Haven't you ever heard of respecting the dead?! Y'know I bet it's thanks to people like you that Draugr still haunt old ruins!"

The redhead shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard from the man before stepping to the door, trying to open it, but found it either stuck or locked. Instead he knocked on it a few times with his fist.

"Hey! Allen! Why the heck are you running? Open up, would ya?"

Kanda pushed him aside and held his breath as he slammed his foot into the lock, effectively opening the door and making the only current resident of the shack let out another startled yell.

They found him in the far left corner of the room, huddled there, shaking and wide-eyed. "You monsters!"

Kanda rolled his eyes and covered his nose and mouth as he entered. "Big deal." He grumbled as he stalked towards the three cadavers and grabbed one by the collar, dragging it outside. He didn't mind that he lost the head along the way. "Calm down, it's just a few bodies."

"We had a deal," Allen said weakly, staring at the head on the ground. Kanda arched an eyebrow at him. "We had a deal. Don't kill me!"

Lavi followed inside after Kanda broke the door down, grimacing at both the smell and the sight of the corpses inside. As far as he was concerned though, it was Kanda's mess to clean up. He had absolutely _no_ part in any of this.

He wrinkled his nose in distaste as the raven-haired man dragged the bodies out one at a time but otherwise didn't really react. It wasn't as if corpses weren't a commonplace sight across Tamriel, especially for those that actually traveled a lot or went cave-diving.

He glanced at Allen as the man continued to speak hysteria and rested his hands on his hips, tilting his head in confusion and glancing over at Kanda, noting the man's brow was raised in question as well.

"So I'm guessing you have no idea either then," he hummed, speaking more rhetoric than anything, and then looking back at Allen.

"We really ain't got a clue what you're talking about, Snowy. For one, killing ain't my trade," he thumbed at himself, before motioning to Kanda. "And if you were one of Yuu's contracted targets, he would've already just killed you back at the palace. So why you think we're gonna kill you when that's entirely counter-productive to getting this scroll and dragon thing you mentioned..." he trailed off for a moment as something in his own statement struck a chord, trying to figure out why that was.

He suddenly dropped his arms to his side and almost looked mournful.

"Ah crap, please don't tell me _that_ was the white dragon we just killed! I mean, it wasn't white, but..." he trailed off again helplessly, hoping they hadn't just killed off one of their paychecks, although how they would have contained and sold off an _actual_ dragon went beyond his present knowledge.

Allen blinked at them then, completely forgetting the corpses.

_Could it be...?_

"I'm - I mean..." he struggled to his feet, his eyes flickering from one to another. "You don't-" He let out a little nervous, not to mention forced, chuckle and swallowed hard. "I thought the bodies, well this place is-"

"By the Gods!" Kanda interrupted as he hauled the body outside, not even bothering to dragg them a little bit further from the house. "You're really insane. We're not going to kill you. Not unless you try something funny like screwing us over with the deal." So much for Kanda's reassurance skills.

"You're not?" Allen piped in, watching Kanda as he dragged another body outside and unceremoniously threw it behind a barrel. He remembered Lavi's question then. "And no, the dragon wasn't what you're looking for."

Could these two be really that clueless and dumb? Maybe he was lucky after all...

"We're..." Lavi paused for a moment, trying to compose the right words in his head before continuing to explain. "... _professionals_ of each of our trades with specific goals and codes of conduct, not a bunch of lawless, wanton savages."

He nodded, looking satisfied with his description.

"Yuu only kills people someone else wants to pay a good deal of money to have killed." He paused and glanced at the man for a moment, before adding, "... _most_ of the time. It's a career, not just killing for the sake o' killing. And as for me-" He almost puffed himself up, looking a little too proud yet impishly mischievous. "Well... you can say that I am a generous reliever of peoples' burdens that carry a heavy price, so they don't have to worry about keeping them safe anymore." He chuckled in a manner that was a little too innocent-sounding after he said this.

Despite his valiant effort, Lavi failed at making Allen loosen up. The lad withdrew to the corner onto the bed where he hugged his knees and stared at the two men with a mildly suspicious and nervous look in his eyes and refused to join them by the fire, which might as well have been the last straw for Kanda before he exploded.

"Fine, stay here and sulk for all I care! Stupid brat." He grumbled as he plopped down on the furs by the hearth, which temporarily made up for the bed. He violently searched his pack, cussing as he threw out the stolen soul gems until he took out a pack which turned out to be full of dried meat. "Are we even bothering with keeping up the watch?"

Lavi shrugged, more than content to take it easy after their escape from the palace, traveling through the moors, and fighting off a freaking _dragon_ of all things.

"I dunno, think we need to? If no one's opened this place up long enough for those bodies to decompose that bad, not so sure they'd suddenly start looking now. It's probably unlikely that the guards in Solitude are going to check this far, anyway. They'll probably give up searching after Dragons Bridge, and even saying they'll look that far might be generous." Guards or not, most people were always still a certain level of lazy, so long as they thought the effort wasn't worth it. Both of their jobs thrived on such tendencies.

"Anyway, we probably have some ground to cover tomorrow to find this scroll thing, and I'd like to be able to sleep at _some_ point." It was at this point that he turned his attention towards Allen. "So, speaking of which, how far is this place located?"

Allen jerked as if he was just woken up from a dream. "Um, it is... I think the general direction is south-east from here." He closed his eyes, trying to picture the land from above - which was pretty hard because he hasn't seen the land from the sky for quite a long time. He wrinkled his brows and spoke. "There is the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagor on the way and-" He stopped.

The Skyborn Altar.

The Skyborn Altar was right next to the Shrine. Which meant there was a good chance that he could talk to one of his brothers.

"I heard there are some nice spoils in the Shrine that nobody would miss for sure. And the place we're travelling to isn't far from there." And it really wasn't. The Tower of Mzark was right behind... more or less.

Allen froze then and Kanda arched an eyebrow at him when he saw how the brat's eyes suddenly widened.

"Is there a problem?" the assassin asked and the annoyance in his voice was almost palpable.

"There might be..." Allen trailed off. "We might... need an item to get to the scroll." Why didn't he think about it earlier!? "I totally forgot about it!" he admitted, biting his lip. "We need a lexicon to open the scroll holder."

Lavi hummed thoughtfully before shrugging. It made sense that something like the Elder Scroll would be hard to obtain, and that they would probably need some sort of key or trick to reach it.

"Okay so what is this lexicon thing, and how to we get it?"

"Well," Allen started, "it is a Dwemer made artifact in the shape of a small black cube with glowing red hieroglyphics, if I remember correctly. The problem is, I don't know where it might be. I haven't heard anything about its whereabouts, sadly."

Lavi raised a hand to his chin in thought. Why did that sound familiar?

Ah! Now he recalled.

Could it possibly be that one some random Argonian had dumped off on him all those months ago? It had seemed like something important or valuable, but he hadn't had the chance to find out, and at some point he'd forgotten about it entirely. He'd thought of selling it off, potentially, but had had a feeling he'd better hold onto it for whatever reason.

"I think I might know where to get it... but we'll have to make a trip to Riften and that's a long ways off on foot."

It was at this moment he was silently grieving the loss of his horse once again. Things would have been so much easier that way! And he wasn't sure he had enough gold on him for even one horse, let alone two or three. Kanda might have enough gold on him for a horse, but he couldn't be sure, and the man would probably see it as a worthless investment. Going back to Solitude to catch a carriage would be risky, plus there might not even be one available with the Jarl's party, and stealing a few horses even more dangerous, especially when there was three of them.

"Hey Yuu, does the Brotherhood keep horses?"

The Thieves didn't, but they had their own monetary arrangements with the stables outside the city, so they were free to use them any time they wished, so he rarely had to travel long distances without one.

Kanda shivered involuntarily. "No," he said and his face twisted as if he just ate a lemon. "I have a horse, though. I'd rather not use it." He thought of the daedric animal that Fo let him borrow one time and it never stopped following him ever since. "I was actually wondering where the damned horse is now... I haven't seen it for quite some time." And he didn't like the feeling that he was going to see it again soon.

Lavi chuckled at the apparent revulsion that Kanda had for the aforementioned beast of burden. "Aw, did Yuu have a traumatic horse experience or something?" he teased.

"Something like that," Kanda grumbled as he lied down, no longer interested in the conversation.

"We could always steal some horses."

"Wait, wait!" Allen interrupted. "You actually know where the lexicon is?"

"Well I know where there's _a_ box kind of like what you described. I don't know if it's this lexicon thing, but I guess we'll find out."

"Riften is pretty far," Allen piped in nervously. Was it some kind of trick?

"Yeah, I certainly don't want to have to walk all that way," Lavi hummed, pondering over what to do about it. He pursed his lips for a few moments in thought before he seemed to get an idea. "Maybe we won't have to though. I might have a... a _contact_ in Markarth who could help us out with gettin' some horses, maybe, without us having to steal 'em."

It wasn't as though he, a thief, was above doing it. It was just that sometimes it was more trouble than it was worth, and stable owners were very carefully protective of their horses. They weren't quite so easy to steal, and certainly not while going unnoticed.

"I mean, it's still a ways, but it's a lot closer than walking all the way to Riften or Whiterun."

"Markarth?!" Kanda sat up, twisting his body towards Lavi with such force that his hair slapped him in the face. "Have you lost your mind? That is going to take us at least two weeks - if we're lucky. Morthal is a lot closer and on the route more or less."

"There are no stables in Morthal, or horses." Lavi smiled sweetly. "I know for a fact. I stopped there before coming to Solitude. And it won't take that long. If we follow the edge of the moor this side of the bay, there's a shallow channel just below Dragon's Bridge we can cross and take a break in the Four Shield's tavern for food and warmth. Then if we go past the mill and follow the Karth River, it'll take us almost the entire way in half that time. Then we get a few horses and ride due east. It'll be faster in the long-run. I know _all_ the shortcuts on the southern side of Skyrim between here and Riften."

The northern half... that was a different story. Too cold for his tastes to bother with often and not enough places to steal a good profit from without a lot more risk.

"I can fuck all your shortcuts. It's all around Solitude! If I am to make the travel six times longer, I will eat properly first. Morthal is like, what? A day away from here? Besides the food and ale is shit in Four Shields - they only serve horkers and some third-grade brewed piss." He huffed.

Allen's eyes uncertainly flickered from one man to another.

"There's not much better in the Moorside inn, but fine, have it your way," Lavi said, holding his hands up in defeat.

Were truth be told, he could go for some warm food as well, so it wouldn't hurt, and he didn't feel like arguing. Either direction, they could still reach his route just fine.

"We'll stop in Morthal, get some food and drink, then take the road to Dragon's Bridge and follow the Karth River. If we get hungry afterwards we can camp by the water and catch some fish. After the river forks, Karthwasten is just over one of the hills. It's a tucked away mining village. We can rest there and then go the rest of the way to Markarth on the main road to get our horses, and if the person can't help me get them, then we can always just pay a carriage driver to take us the rest of the way to Riften. Sound like a plan?"

Allen nodded mutely, not even realizing that his opinion in this didn't really matter.

Kanda grumbled something under his breath and lied back down, evidently content with the outcome of their discussion. He was just about to close his eyes when he heard something outside. He glanced at Lavi and reached for his sword.

Something was outside the door but they couldn't tell what exactly. Carrion eaters? Not likely since it scratched against their door.

Lavi heard it too, going tense for a moment and rising to his feet. He knew without even looking that Kanda had detected it, the redhead cautiously moving to the door as he heard the scratching. Various things came to mind.

If they had any luck, maybe it was simply a fox or a rabbit. It could be skeevers, small but dangerous with the diseases they carried. Perhaps a wolf drawn by the scent of blood, not something to be taken lightly, but he could probably send the beast screeching away in fear with a well-aimed fireball. Worse options would be chaurus or a troll, and he really didn't want to deal with those right now.

He ignited a small flame in-hand in preparation, exchanging a 'ready?' glance with Kanda, before he reached out and grasped the door handle, swinging it open quickly and ready to blast whatever was on the other side into Oblivion.

Instead they both froze as the only thing waiting for them was the over-fed chicken that had clucked its way past them earlier in the Blue Palace.

"Tim!" Allen yelled in delight as he shoved past the two armed men and carefully picked up the heavy looking chicken. "I am so sorry!" he cried as he nuzzled his head against the feathers. "I didn't want to leave you there!"

"What by Gods is this?" Kanda asked, still gaping as he watched Allen walk back to the bed and move to his corner again with the animal in his lap.

Lavi blinked, lowering his hand and letting the lick of flame die out.

"We've already established he's completely off his rocker," the redhead pointed out. He guessed now that that was why it had been wandering around the palace instead of on some butcher's chopping block. "Does it really surprise you he keeps a chicken as a pet?"

Kanda shook his head in exasperation and laid down, grumbling under his breath.

They both slept through the rest of the night without a further interruption. What came in the morning was, however, worse than Allen's little pet.

Kanda was first to wake up and he did so by sitting up so abruptly it made Lavi startle awake as well. Allen only rubbed his eyes tiredly as his chicken clucked in a somewhat angry way.

"What's going on?"

"This can't be happening!" Kanda shot up and ran to the door, spluttering curses as he went. "NO!" he yelled as he ripped the door open. "You blasted thing! You nightmare!"

A neighing horse answered him.

Lavi whistled impressment as he blinked the sleep from his eye.

"Wow, sharp senses, Yuu." He paused to yawn, debating whether to get up or flop back down on the floor and try to catch another hour or two of sleep, idly scratching the side of his head. Might be best to get up now. He didn't want to be stumbling around the dark night blindly later. "How'd ya know?"

Kanda kept his eyes locked on the horse, giving it a look as if it had murdered his family. "It's hard _not_ to know when your usual wake up call is a hoof to the face. I've learned to sleep with an eye opened just in case. I would recognize this monster's neighing anywhere," he complained.  
  
The horse walked over to the man and affectionately prodded his chest until Kanda reluctantly petted its head, still cursing under his nose.   
  
"It doesn't look that dangerous to me," Allen commented as he poked his head over Kanda's shoulder.

Lavi couldn't help but burst out laughing as he finally heard what Kanda's qualm with the animal was, getting more than one very vivid mental image of how that scenario would play out. And he had a very vivid imagination.

"Aw, poor Yuu~" he cooed, standing up and stretching, more awake now that he'd had a good laugh. "I'm sure its just an expression of affection. Look how much he loves you~" If he were grinning any wider, his face would have ripped in half, the redhead pointedly keeping his guard up to dodge an attempt on his life if he had to as he went about checking his packed things, before they'd head out.

It wasn't much, so he was out the door again within minutes, only to jump slightly as the glowy-eyed beast just about _roared_ and reared aggressively toward Allen as the white haired lad emerged.

He stumbled backwards with eyes filled with panic and horror, falling onto his rear as the horse kicked, thankfully missing him. The second attack came right after and Allen was saved again as his over-grown chicken jumped to his rescue, flapping its wings wildly which startled the horse into backing away.

Before the next attack happened, Kanda jumped in front of his horse, trying to calm the spooked animal down with one hand and push the aggressive chicken out of the way with the other.

The brat scrambled to his feet and quickly ran to hide behind Lavi.

"Shhhh, you brainless horse! Have you completely lost your mind?! And get the chicken away from me for the love of Akel!" Kanda screamed after he finally captured Shadowmere's reins and tugged it further away from Allen. "OW! You little-"

"No!" The lad gasped as he surged for his pet before Kanda could strangle it with his bare hand. The chicken jumped into Allen's arms but it still tried to reach for Kanda's fingers while viciously clucking.

"HAVE ALL THE ANIMALS GONE CRAZY?!"

Lavi watched this all unfold from the sideline entirely uncertain toward whether or not he should get involved. He really preferred not to have his skull caved in by a deadric horse. On the other hand, he really wanted that scroll and white dragon so he could become rich.

At least Kanda was there to play middle-man so he didn't have to. This time, at any rate.

"Maybe whatever he's got-" he motioned with his head at Allen. "-that makes him crazy is contagious."

"YOU'RE NOT HELPFUL!" Kanda roared as he forced the horse to stay put. "Listen you little shit," he lectured the animal, pointing at the general direction of Allen, "you're gonna play nice or I'll eat your hide!"

The horse neighed again as if he understood what the man was saying.

Kanda then whiped around and gestured with his hand to Allen to come over, and it was clear that the lad didn't fancy the idea of doing so.

"Come here and give me your hand. And put that chicken away!" he added hastily when the animal clucked at him as if daring him to touch its master.

Lavi merely raised his hands in front of him placatingly, stepping back.

"Hey, don't yell at me. It's your evil horse, not mine. That means _you_ deal with it," he defended, smirking as the man threatened the equine now and started barking off orders between it and Allen.

The assassin ignored his remark and called for Allen, who reluctantly stepped closer. He took the man's outstretched hand and bit the inside of his cheek as he pulled him closer, whispering quietly to the horse.

"Just stay calm," he instructed as he tugged him further, guiding his hand to touch Shadowmere's nose. The horse protested weakly but when Kanda cursed at it again, it seemed to give up its illogical grudge against the white-haired lad. "See? Problem solved." He huffed as he let go of Allen's hand to cross his arms on his chest.

"Y-yeah..." The lad still didn't seem to relax but the horse seemed to take a sudden interest in him as he snorted and prodded him with his head.

"Now, your highness," Kanda began, seizing Allen by his waist and easily hoisting him up in the saddle. Allen made a startled noise and slapped the man's hands in panic, but once he sat on the horse he grew quiet and rigid. "We don't want your pretty clothes all spoiled now, do we?" the assassin mocked, dusting his hands.

Lavi still wasn't sure what that reaction had been about, but it seemed resolved now. He smiled satisfaction and stretched his arms skyward languidly before sauntering closer now that hostilities had subsided.

"Well, now that that's over with, I guess we can head to Morthal now! Get some warm food in our stomachs. I think we can all agree on that, right?" he hummed, glancing between Kanda and Allen.

Kanda made a sound that was pretty close to agreeing and slapped Allen's thigh. "You sit like a woman! Move your leg to the other side," he instructed and he would have continued if Tim the chicken didn't take the friendly slap as a threat against its master and attacked the assassin's knees.

They began their track after Kanda caught the animal and thrust it into Allen's arms, warning him not to let it go at any cost and silently lamenting his mutilated legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Kanda and the chicken are not going to be friends...:P


	7. Chapter 7

Their walk was thankfully uneventful and the only thing to bother them were a few mudcrabs and a small frostbite spider that apparently had no clue who it was messing with.

Reaching Morthal was admittedly a relief because Lavi was _starving_ by then, since they hadn't eaten since just before Kanda found and eliminated his target aside the Jarl's party. Plus, there was nothing like the warm contrast of the stoked hearth within the inn after having walked all day through the cold.

The redhead couldn't be happier to sit down with a plate of piping hot food and drink, inhaling the scent deeply.

"Warmth and food at last!"

Kanda hummed in agreement and dug into his own food. After they finished, Kanda ordered another round of ale and both he and Lavi sat back, fully content. The peaceful while was, however, disturbed by an inhuman growl.

The two men shared a look and glanced around the hall to find out what could possibly make such noise. Kanda cocked an eyebrow at Lavi, slamming his bottle on the table, but just before he could start blaming the redhead, the noise echoed again and they both noticed that the source of it is their little white-headed protégé.

"Sorry," Allen murmured with his head bowed and cheeks red.

Kanda could only gape.

Lavi laughed.

"Never think I've heard a stomach make that sound before!" And the look on Kanda's face was priceless to boot. "What do you hide in there? A bemoaning snow bear?"

Allen only blushed deeper at the teasing. Kanda gave Lavi another questioning look and sighed. He could see that the brat was genuinely embarrased about it.

He heaved another deep sigh and stood up, marching to the counter. A short while later he came back with a plate of cooked beef and an apple pie, which he slammed in front of Allen before a further comment could be made and sat down, taking a swing of his ale.

"Are you trying to break the table?" Lavi joked with brows raised, with how Kanda slammed the plates down before taking a seat, taking full advantage of having - strategically - placed himself on the other side of the man when they first sat down.

If he was going to say any more, he forgot it as he watched Allen dig and start scarfing down his food, blinking.

"H-hey, that's probably a bad idea y'know... wolfing down your food like that," he cautioned. "You're s'posed to chew it first properly and all that..."

But Allen wasn't listening anymore. He was too engrossed in inhaling the food to which Kanda answered with a frown and an annoyed growl. He sat a bit further away, visibly disgusted with Allen's eating manners.

"If you're gonna choke on it, I'm not gonna help you," he warned.

The plates were licked clean within minutes, but when Allen sat up properly again, he still looked rather nervous.

Kanda was about to drink from his bottle when the noise of the brat's stomach echoed thoughout the room again.

"You´re kidding right?"

The embarrased look on Allen's face gave a clear message. Lavi was staring at Allen in bewilderment as well, his brows rising.

"Where did it all go if not your stomach?" After a moment, he held up his hand. "Y'know what... maybe it's better I don't ask that question." The last day had already been strange enough without asking more questions that might give him weird answers.

Allen shifted in his seat and Kanda had the dreading feeling that his pockets are going to get very lighter this evening. He was right.

The white-head wistfully stared towards the counter where the food was but kept silent. After his third unhappy sigh, Kanda stood up again and ordered two more plates of beef and one roasted salmon which he slammed in front of the lad again.

However, he didn't sit down this time. Instead of that, he finished his drink and gestured to the innkeeper for another and he drank that one right away.

"Did they just never feed you at the Blue Palace or something?" Lavi couldn't help but question, slowly sipping a tankard of mead with his eyebrows in his hairline. He noticed Kanda searching the room and his own eye wandered about the few other occupants within.

Allen shook his head and swallowed hardly. "They did, but I have a big appetite," he offered with a shrug and an innocent blink of his stupidly big eyes.

"You eat like a pig," Kanda commented, but he kept his eyes forward. He didn't see how Allen smiled his way and dug into his food again. "Stay put," he said and walked forward, shoving the empty ale bottle into Lavi's chest.

Allen gave Lavi a quizzical look and stopped eating. "What is he-?"

"We've got a challenger!" a man suddenly yelled, making the other occupants of the hall raise their pints and cheer. "Houndred gold that I'll kick this pup's pretty ass!"

"What is going on?" Allen asked with a hint of panic in his voice.

"Shhh," Lavi raised a finger to his lips to indicate. "Don't worry, Snowy. Yuu is just winning some coin back into his pocket. Eating costs money, after all."

He smiled reassurance and rested his chin on palm casually, setting the empty bottle Kanda had shoved at him onto the table, watching interestedly. He already knew how this was going to turn out, but it was still fun to watch.

"Just sit back and watch. You are about to see the art of the Bar-Brawl-Wager that's been passed down through all taverns in Tamriel since the dawn of alcohol and ego."

"But..." Allen snapped his mouth close as he watched one man walk around the room and gather some money while another one stripped from his tunic and threw it away. Kanda then walked over to their table and threw his sword and daggers at the redhead. "Keep an eye on that, rabbit." He undid the belts around his torso and pulled off his gear as well.

There was a loud cheering when the two brawlers took an offensive stance in the middle of the hall.

Allen watched with mild shock and confusion as Kanda and the bearded man started beating each other with their fists, sending drops of blood and sweat flying around them with every successful hit. The brawl turned out to be longer than usual because both of them seemed to have a little too much stamina and neither of the two was willing to back down.

After good fifteen minutes, Kanda, all sweaty and bloody, managed to deliver a decisive uppercut which sent the other brawler fying backwards and down onto the wooden floor.

The hall erupted into loud cheers and whistles as Kanda thrust his fist upwards as a sign of victory. He collected the money and made a stop at the bar where he picked up a bottle of wine and another plate of apple pie.

"Here," he said with a bloody grin, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "A little gift."

Allen stared at him with eyes wide opened and mouth gaping.

"If you leave your mouth hanging open too long, flies might settle in it," Lavi teased Allen, before swiveling back in his seat properly and smiling at Kanda, who was beaming with victory and didn't seem to even notice his own damages. "Nice goin', Yuu. Too bad it wasn't a sword-fight, huh? Probably would have finished in more than half the time then," he chuckled.

Kanda wasn't the best hand-to-hand fighter, but he was one of the deadliest people alive with a sword. He was a tenacious bastard that could take hits as well as he gave though, so he was still a decent enough opponent in a fist-fight.

"An' now we don't have to worry about money for a while. How much did ya make?"

"Two houdred and something." He grinned and drank the wine from the bottle, offering it to Lavi after he chugged down a few hefty gulps.

"Are you alright?" Allen asked uncertainly as he watched the bruises and blood on the swordsman's body. Before Kanda could reply, someone else interrupted.

"Good fight man!" It was the other brawler. "Benor," he offered his name and his hand. "I don't often meet people like you around here. Got a nice company, too." He grinned and petted Allen's snow-white head. His hand, however, lingered longer than neccessary.

"You're not a half-bad fighter yourself. He can hit pretty hard," Lavi said. He, of all people, would definitely know as much, from the few times he wasn't quite fast enough to avoid it when he antagonized the man for kicks. It was a miracle he'd always managed to be fast enough to avoid Kanda's blade when he brandished it. He smiled and offered up a mock toast. "And here I was thinking no one could come even close to matching his stubbornness!"

The man returned the toast with a dramatial bow after he shook hands with Kanda.

"Thank you," he said as he sat down a little bit too close to Allen, who couldn't shuffle away from the man if he didn't want to sit on the floor.

Kanda slowly walked over to Lavi and began to dress again, frowing at the man. Benor's smile was pleasant, but for some reason Kanda found himself wanting to wipe it off his face.

"Stubbornness is in a fighter's blood." He nudged Allen and winked at him mischeivously. "Would you want to find out if you're stubborn enough, too?" He looked at Lavi again, cocking his head. "I am willing to go another round. Maybe you could also bet... something else," he added as he slipped his hand onto Allen's thigh.

Allen scrunched his face as the man's stinky, alcohol filled breath ghosted over his face while he tried to claw the offending limb off his leg.

Lavi pursed his lips unpleasantly as he caught the not-so-subtle suggestions and advances the man was making, his single eye thoughtful for a moment before he smiled seemingly oblivious innocence.

"Me? Oh no, I'm not nearly so brutish. Fist-fights really aren't my cup of ale, but maybe we could wager over something a little more sporting. I'm quite fast if I do say so myself. Maybe a race instead?"

"A race?" Benor repeated. Allen was thankful for the distraction because he could finally pry the hand away and bolt behind Kanda, who was putting finishing touches on his outfit and strapping his sword on his hip. "You're on then! It has been a while since anyone challenged me in anything else than a fist fight!" He clapped his hands together and stood up.

"What is your bet then?" Benor asked and his eyes flickered towards the white-head hiding behind Kanda. He averted his eyes only when he noticed the glare Kanda pinned him with.

"Oh, I think you already know what you want, good sir! Or rather, _whom_ you want," Lavi piped, smiling too broadly as he stood and smacked his hands together. "But do tell me, if I win, what will _I_ be getting? A wager is only as fair as its prizes, and it would be a shame if you were to have nothing to offer."

"Good, good. Very good actually." The man laughed and Allen growled in betrayal as he bore his nails into Kanda's arm.

" _Rabbit_ ," the swordsman mildly warned, but otherwise stayed silent.

"Well, I happen to be on the good side when it comes to money, if you're interested in some more. I've also looted some interesting books recently and a wand or two that could be in some value. You choose. If you don't have a better idea, that is," he said, wiggling his brows in Allen's direction, who only dodged further behind Kanda's broad back.

Oh, choices, choices... but he was going to have to prioritize and for now that meant coin.

"Another round of coin it is then! Let's say we race to..." he paused and pondered. "The old burial mound just past the mill?" he suggested.

"Done! Another houndred then!" He stood up then, shaking hands with Lavi. "Give me a second to put down my gear. I'll meet you outside. I do look forward how this turns out," he announced as he walked past Kanda and winked at Allen again.

"You - you...!" Allen raged, scowling at Lavi from behind Kanda. "How could you?! I am not something you own!"

Kanda hummed noncommittaly, crossing his arms on his chest. "What's the big idea?"

"You worry too much," Lavi grinned, tousling Allen's hair in a manner that might be called affectionate. "Don't worry, Snowy," he lowered his voice slightly at this point, offering the lad an awkward one-eyed wink. "A thief never walks away with anything less than more than he walked in with."

With that, he sauntered after the man to outside, where he was standing just outside the inn.

"I'm ready, good sir!" he offered up, stopping near him. "And may the best man win!"

"Ready when you are," Benor chirped in enthusiasm, positioning himself in the middle of the road.

Kanda meanwhile walked to the side and raised his hand.

"What are you doing?" Allen asked, still fidgeting behind him.

"I'm going to start their race. Ready?" he called when Lavi took his place.

"I can't wait to get my hands on him," Benor whispered next to the redhead. "Good luck, laddie!"

Lavi only smiled self-assurance, and when Kanda signaled for them to start, he sprung up and they both sprinted through town, across the bridge, past the mill, and into the rough-grassed moor.

Lavi let the other guy stay just ahead and pretended to be winded as he came to the top of the moss-covered ruin where the man was cheering his victory and doing a little drunken dance.

"Well, looks like the best man won," Lavi heaved, patting a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Maybe better luck next time," Benor grinned, looking far too eager. Lavi grinned slyly now as well, lighting up a fireball and flinging it past the man, making him duck with wide eyes. "By Thorig's beard! What was that for?"

Lavi tapped him on the shoulder and pointed behind him, a troll quickly making up the distance toward them and frothing rage.

"You're right," Lavi hummed, swiping the man's pouch of gold and tripping his leg, right as he pushed the man into the center of the half-submerged mound with an audible splash. "Better luck next time!"

With that, he seemed to vanish into invisibility just as the troll reached the top, leaving the beast confused just long enough to forget him and snarl at Benor instead.

He sprinted back to town now that his pockets were lined, and in more than the man was probably planning on giving up going by the weight of the bag, and came up behind Allen to wrap his arms around the young man's shoulders as he went visible again, laughing.

"Boo!"

Allen yelped and slapped his hand away. "Get off me!" He looked around the room, but before he could ask where the other man was, Kanda beat him to it.

"Seems like our good man couldn't finish the race," he commented nonchallantly. "What did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything," Lavi stated innocently, taking a seat and a swig of ale, though he could see Kanda didn't believe him. "I just found him another opponent to play race with, that's all. Even trolls need to have a little fun now and again." He smiled shamelessly.

Allen looked between the men in confusion but stayed silent. He didn't really feel pity for that lecher.

He spent the rest of the evening in Lavi's and Kanda's company, but he only observed as the two men chugged down bottles after bottles of ale. He could never understand how men could indulge themselves by weakening their senses like that.

He hugged his legs and rested his chin on his knees until he dozed off.

"Look at the brat," Kanda said cocking his head at the sleeping white-head. "We should retire for the evening, too. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"You won't hear any complaints from me," Lavi agreed, yawning and feeling more than a little buzzed at this point as he stood and stretched, almost managing to tumble back over his seat in the meantime. "And likely we won't have to share this time" he chuckled. "Cuz I don't fancy being kicked onto the floor."

"Likewise," Kanda slurred slightly, also standing up. He paused then and grabbed the redhead's arm. "Wait, wait! Who's taking him?" He jerked his head towards Allen.

"I guess I will," Lavi shrugged. "This time, anyway. You look like you're gonna need the sleep more than I will." He smiled jovially and scooped the white-haired male up, managing to keep steady despite being drunk. "Besides, you might not get another chance for a few days to not have to worry about a hoof in your face! Better rest up with both eyes closed while you can," he added with a small laugh, staggering off to the counter to pay for a room and then disappear inside of the one that the innkeeper escorted him to.

Kanda nodded silently and stalked into his own room, mentally thanking the divinities for small mercies.

Allen wiggled in Lavi's arms, muttering something incomprehensible in his gibberish talk and sighed deeply. Only when Lavi laid him on the bed he woke up.

"What's going on?" he murmured, half-asleep.

"Bed time," Lavi announced, stretching his arms above his head and wriggling onto the other half to get comfortable with his back to the other male. "You should make sure to get some sleep too. It's a long way to Markarth in the morning."

* * *

When Lavi woke up the next morning he found Allen sitting by his head, hugging his knees and staring at nothing with a mildly sulkish expression.

"You sleep like a whore," he commented and his tone carried a little outrage.

Lavi blinked at him in gaping surprise, his brows almost disappearing into his hairline. "I what now...?"

Allen stayed silent and stepped over him. Lavi was sure that the kick that seemed to very _accidental_ was everything but. Allen exited the room a little bit too quickly and sat down on the bench at the table they occupied yesterday, awkwardly looking around.

Lavi only grumbled incoherencies under his breath and rubbed his side.

"Just what was that about?" Ah, but whatever. He stood and stretched skyward, soon joining the white-haired male in the main room and sitting down next to him, propping his chin on palm, his single eye surveying the room.

"No Yuu yet?"

Allen shook his head mutely and kept watching the counter with food with a wistful look.

"Morning," they heard Kanda say as he passed the table and stopped by the counter to order their breakfast and some ale. He came back carrying two pints of ale and a cup of something that looked like herbal tea. He gave one pint to Lavi and the tea to Allen when he sat down and yawned.

Allen murmured his thanks and silently sipped his tea.

" 'morning, Yuu!" Lavi returned jovially, happily taking the drink and an immediate, satisfying swig. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have in a long time," he said, and he really did sound very pleased. "Ready for the journey?" he asked, scanning the room with his eyes.

"When are we leaving?" Allen asked jumping in his seat slightly when the innkeeper placed a plate full of food in front of him.

"After breakfast. What route are we taking?" Kanda asked, directing the question at Lavi.

"Well, no use roughing it through the moor since we're already next to the main road," Lavi shrugged. "We'll head out onto the road past Fort Snowhawk and go across to Dragon's Bridge, then follow the river past the mill, follow it south where it forks, and then climb over the hill to Karthwasten just before the falls. At its very worst, it might take us two days, taking into account stops for rest."

"Sounds like a plan." Kanda commented. After they finished their breakfast, they restocked their bags with extra food and water and headed out.


	8. Chapter 8

The sun was still half hidden behind the horizon and the air chilly, but the clear sky promised a pleasant snowless day.

Allen went to find his feathery monster while they secured their packs on Shadowmere. When the white-head returned with the enormously big chicken in his arms and a overly-happy smile on his face that made the swordsman cringe, Kanda sat him up on the horse and led the way through the grass-covered land. They pulled up their dark hoods and walked in silence.

"We should do something about that," Kanda murmured to Lavi and jerked his head towards Allen, who was busy cooing at the chicken.

Lavi glanced back and nodded. Sure, the white robes weren't quite so offensively sparse-clean as they had been when they'd first found the lad at the Blue Palace, but they would still be a problem, especially since they didn't plan to head north where the snow covered absolutely everything.

He gnawed his lower lip in thought for a moment as he walked, glancing the fort ahead on the road, calculating an idea.

"You still got those soul gems we lifted back in Solitude? Unless the inhabitants have changed, Fort Snowhawk is inhabited by Necromancers. Maybe we can barter a trade for some basic black robes or some clothes they might have took off some poor, unsuspecting passersby," he suggested idly. "Could be worth a try, anyway, and we can probably handle them easily enough if they give us trouble."

"Leave that to me," Kanda replied with a sinister smile, stopping the horse when they reached the fort.

Not ten minutes later, he marched out with a smirk on his face, an empty bag, and arms full of cloaks and pelts which he threw at Allen.

"Choose a cloak and a pelt and throw away the others," Kanda commanded and stashed the bag away. "They were very polite, gave me some potions as well," he said, taking Shadowmere's reins and tugged it forward.

Lavi could only stare, wondering to himself exactly what had transpired inside. He wasn't sure whether to assume Kanda had simply slain them or if there were now a bunch of angry, scared necromancers running around in the buff. He honestly wasn't sure which of the two scenarios would be worse.

"Yuu, you are simply too much," he deadpanned, shaking his head and deciding it better not to ask which it was that he had done.

The man gave him a self-satisfied smirk and kept walking.

The road a little bit too boring from the start, the only excitement they got was when a mudcrab suddenly emerged from the nearby bush and sent Kanda's horse into an offensive fit that couldn't be calmed until it had stomped the living lights out of the poor crab.

Allen's feathery pest used the situation as a chance to free itself from the white-head's grasp and attack Kanda's shins - it seemed to hold a very deep personal grudge against the swordsman. Allen calmed it down after a while, but Kanda still suffered some damages.

From then on, he walked a little further from the horse and gave the chicken a glare that promised murder. The third time Allen caught him sneaking upon his pet, he bit his hand and threatened him with tears in his eyes, which was pretty pathetic but Kanda didn't want to spend the whole journey listening to the brat's sobs and cries, so he let him and his vicious animal be.

The second half of the way to Dragon's Bridge was less pleasant as it started to rain, but the sight of the little settlement in the distance kept their spirits high and all three of them couldn't have been happier when they reached the inn. Allen seemed unaffected by the cold but he fidgeted every second and complained about the wetness. Kanda and Lavi couldn't have been happier when they sat down in front of the firepit in the Four Shields.

Lavi didn't really mind taking shelter from the rain though either. The cold wasn't such that he couldn't tolerate it, but he preferred the heat, and rain made it difficult to make and maintain a proper fire if they'd decided to camp out.

It wasn't as if he couldn't produce a little fire of his own, but that zapped his magicka, so he preferred to take pleasure in someone else's flames when he could and not have to expend the energy to keep himself warm. Even better was getting nice, hot dinner as well.

Allen, however, wouldn't stop fidgeting and complaining about his wet clothes, so they ordered their room early and decided to spend another night in an inn, rather than trekking through the wilds or camping out at night. Allen quickly retreated behind closed doors to change. Neither Lavi nor Kanda could be bothered to give him company for a while, merely keeping an eye on the door to make sure that no one else entered their rented room.

Feeling full, contently buzzed with ale, and so cozily warm near the hearth that it started to lull him, Lavi almost dozed off right there if not for a boot toe tapping his side and jolting him awake. Lavi blinked up at Kanda, who merely rolled his eyes and ordered him to their room if he was going to sleep anyway. Lavi only grinned sheepishly and stretched his way up from the floor, and headed to do just that, tapping the door for Allen to let them in.

There was the distinct sound of Allen scrambling to his feet and going by the thumping and a little yelp, he was either hiding or searching for something.

Kanda gave Lavi a weird look and grumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, wait a second!" they heard Allen say. He sounded rather tired. The door opened a little bit, and when they entered, the white-head already sat on the pelt on the floor, with nothing but a white linen bed sheet covering him.

"I don't have any spare clothes and mine are all wet," he said sheepishly.

Kanda closed his eyes in exasperation and stayed silent, deeply breathing through his nose, probably mentally counting to ten to keep himself calm.

"Should'a came and sat by the fire with us, Snowy. Probably would've been dry by now," Lavi hummed, before straightening to look over his shoulder. "I'll see if the innkeeper might have some spare clothes you can borrow 'til yours dry." He excused himself to do just that and returned within a couple of minutes with a folded shirt and pants, tossing them to the lad. "Here. The guy wants 'em back by morning but at least you won't have to be running around in the buff 'til then."

Allen mutely took the clothes and returned to his little nest by the wall.

Kanda murmured something about idiot sprouts before lying down and sighing. "This will be a cold night," he commented, rubbing his arm to heat himself up.

Allen made a strange content sound and wiggled on the pelt.

Lavi grinned playfully as he stretched out on the other half of the bed, knowing the likely response even before he opened his mouth, or rolled over slightly with open arms.

"Well if you're cold, maybe I can warm you up!"

"You stay where you are, rabbit. Better keep an eye open on our white-headed compass over there," he said, taking a last peek at the lad who was currently making himself comfortable on the floor.

Kanda couldn't resist a little smirk. He looked even smaller in that huge tunic Lavi gave him.

"Fine then, but it's your fault if you freeze your ass off," Lavi teased, rolling back the opposite way and turning his back to the man. "You can't say I don't try to do nice things for you! And I only have one eye to keep open. How am I supposed to sleep like that?"

Kanda just rolled his eyes and soon enough they both fell asleep.

Allen watched them for a long time, wondering just how he could stop the snoring, but in the end he nodded off as well.

He woke up first, sniffing the delicious smell of roasted meat which lured him outside. The woman who was making it was pleasant and gave him a piece, so he sat down on the nearby bench and nibbled on it while waiting for a proper portion. Too bad he was too busy drooling over the food to notice a dark skinned man staring at him from the corner.

The annoyingly familiar girlish scream that echoed throughout the inn was an unpleasant wake up call for both Lavi and Kanda.

"Hey," Kanda said as he tensed up in the bed, "wasn't that...?"

Lavi jumped up and ran to the doorway, skidding to a halt just outside as his single eye scoured the room for the source of the scream. He wasn't quite awake yet, but he became entirely lucid as he saw Allen cornering himself at the far side of the room with a shirt on but no pants in sight and a man standing over him.

"Hey!"

The guy looked up in surprise and bafflement just before the redhead decked him hard in the jaw, the guy stumbling into a wall. The man held his hands up in surrender with wide eyes.

"Wait, just wait! It is nothing, I-" he motioned towards Allen helplessly. "I-I thought he was a girl!"

"And that makes it okay?!" Lavi fumed, raising a leg and stomping it into the guy's face.

Kanda took a piece of meat from the fire and thrust it into Allen's mouth, telling him to sit back and eat before he joined in on maiming the lecher to mush.

The man ended up with two black eyes, a cracked rib, and empty pockets when they finished, and after their very tasty dinner, all three of them continued their journey.  
Kanda dragged his horse with Allen in the saddle munching yet another piece of meat after him, cursing at the muddy and slippery path.

"We just couldn't take the road." He grumbled but knew that this was the shortest way to Markarth.

"This is the shortest way," Lavi pointed out, still wearing a slight frown from the trouble they'd had to deal with in Four Shields.

At least the guards hadn't seemed to notice. He didn't want a bounty for assault thrown on his head, especially not now. They were going to have to be more careful in inns from now on. Every pervert between here and Soverngarde seemed to like what they saw in his cash cow!

"Anyway, if we went the other way, it's a choice between swimming rapids or going through a whole camp of bandits that toll that road. I don't like handing my coin out where I don't have to." Even if they were carrying quite a bit of it at the moment.

Kanda scoffed quietly. "As if bandits could do anything to me."

"Hey look!" Allen cried, pointing ahead. "Kittens!"

The swordsman squinted ahead and gulped loudly.

Yeah, kittens _his ass_. Those were sabre pups playing ahead, which meant their mom was around too.

He drew his sword.

"We need to deal with this quickly."

Lavi glanced between the baby sabre's and Kanda, not seeming to entirely have caught up with what was going on until Kanda took a step forward, at which point he grabbed the swordsman by the shoulders.

"What?! Yuu! You can't!" he protested. "I mean, sure, they'll grow up to be monstrous wildcats that'll want to rip apart and disembowel you once they're grown, but..." If he had any sense of self-preservation, he wasn't showing it as he hooked an arm over the man's shoulder and grasped Kanda's chin to point ahead at the tumbling bundles. "-Just look at how cute and happy they are now! It'd be worse than kicking harmless puppies. Even you can't possibly be that heartless!"

The swordsman frowned at him in distaste. "Did you hit yourself in the head? Their mother's gonna be here somewhere too!"

Shadowmere neighed then suddenly and he had to catch the horse's reins so it wouldn't throw Allen down. "She's close," he warned.

"You can't kill them!" Allen whined.

"You too?!" Were they out of their minds? They stared at him with a pout, which worked for Allen but not for Lavi. Kanda sighed. "So what, we're sneaking around?"

And just as he finished that, there was a growl and the sabre leapt out of a bush.

Lavi grinned at him nervously. "I'd say sneaking is out." He stepped off to the side a bit as the sabre snarled at them from atop a rock, bristling wildly and only seeming to hesitate long enough to decide who to go after first. "But running is still an option."

He heard a muttered agreement, something along the lines of "Yeah, running is good," before they turned and ran, the wildcat snarling behind them and leaping to chase. They cleared what appeared to be a wall of stretched, dark-brown pelts and the cat stopped its chase as Shadowmere kicked backwards, hitting its head.

The sabre snarled and shook itself, pacing, but didn't cross into the camp and instead quickly turned to retreat. Lavi's eye swept around them and he huffed exasperation as a whole swarm of Forsworn came out of nearly every hut with weapons brandished, the redhead grabbing hold of Kanda's arm.

"Keep running now, rest later!" he yelped, pulling the swordsman into a run towards the opposite entrance and a river, leaping clear over a mudcrab that pounced out of the silt on the bank and swiped its claws for him. The redhead splashed across small islands for the far hill on the other side before he finally allowed himself to stop, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Well that could have gone worse," he grinned, straightening up and still panting before his smile vanished and he groaned. "Oh, of all the damn-... we have to go back!"

"What? Why?!" Kanda asked angrily, catching his breath. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" he yelled, dragging a hand down his face when he noticed that they are one white-headed beansprout short. "I hope he's not in the Forsworn camp."

* * *

 

"Yep, he's in the fucking Forsworn camp," Kanda raged from behind a bush where he and Lavi spied on almost-naked lunatics.

Allen was tied to a pole at the side of the camp, his mouth gagged and legs bound. They noticed one of them - a shaman probably, Lavi noted - walk up to him with a dagger.

"Fuck," Kanda cursed as he watched the man cut Allen from the pole and lead him to his tent. "What is with him and all the men of this goddamned land?!" he asked, spitting at the ground. He had to admit that the sprout was pleasant to the eye, but the kidnapping and molesting was getting kind of old.

"Well maybe they aren't intending on treating him like a woman," Lavi pointed out in a slightly-too-optimistic voice. "Maybe they're just going to sacrifice him to whatever gods it is they worship, or cut him up for their Hagravens to make potion ingredients out of his eyes and other pieces of his body."

As if that was any better.

"You're not helping," Kanda sighed and drew his sword. "Let's go kick some ass."


	9. Chapter 9

Lavi drew his warhammer and leapt out when Kanda did, managing to take one or two by surprise before the rest became aware to what was going on, probably having expected they might return for their companion and moving to kill the intruders.

Lavi blocked an intended blow from a Forsworn's ax and kicked them away as Kanda froze, the redhead glancing over his shoulder at the shaman and swearing.

"Oi, Yuu! This ain't the time to stand and gawk!" he snapped, turning his attention back to the charging enemies and creating a wall of flames to stave them off. "Move it!"

Kanda collected himself and dashed towards the tent, throwing his sword at the panicked shaman, effectively piercing the man's chest. He could hear his own heart beating in his ears as he dislodged the Ebony Blade from the corpse with one hand, tearing the flaps of the tent with the other, dreading what he was about to find inside.

He spun on his heel when he heard another enemy approaching and swiftly dealt with the problem before stumbling into the tent. It took him a second to get used to the sudden lack of light, but when he could see again, he found the beansprout huddled in the corner weeping like a little brat.

"Holy-" he gasped when he noticed the amount of blood in which the whitehead was covered. So, Lavi was right - they really intended to sacrifice him to their weird gods...

Kanda ran to him, quickly inspecting his body for injuries but found none. "Where did he cut you?" he asked hastily, trying to pry Allen's hands away from his chest.

"He didn't," the sprout sobbed before he burst into another fit of crestfallen cries, making Kanda pause and frown.

"Then why are you...?"

"Tim!" Allen sobbed and when Kanda turned around to look where the beansprout was pointing, he noticed the overgrown chicken lying on the floor, its head missing.

"Oh."

Lavi had to bash one guy's side in with his hammer and blast another with fire as he barely dodged backwards from the swing of a blade and fell to the dirt, ignoring the accompanying screams before it was Kanda's horse that leapt into the fray and gave him the moments of reprieve from battle that he needed to join the other two in the Forsworn tent.

He was just in time to see the blood and hear the explanation of the dead chicken, eye shifting between it and the crying Allen.

"H-hey, Allen... we'll get you a new chicken or something, alright? But we seriously gotta go unless we want to be next!"

"But it won't be Tim anymore!" He sobbed, wiping the blood and tears off his face with his sleeve. Kanda rolled his eyes as he grabbed him by his elbow and helped him to his feet, dragging his calloused palms over his face to help him with the cleaning as if his non-existent motherly instincts kicked in.

"Come on, idiot, we'll get you another chicken, just move your ass before these lunatics kill us." He looked at Lavi and jerked his head outside, "how many left?

"Well, definitely not as many as before," Lavi answered, glancing out warily. "But enough to still give us trouble. Looks like your horse is a good distraction though!" he said even as he watched Shadowmere turn and kick a guy in the head, sending him crashing to the dirt. Whether the man was dead or simply unconscious, he wasn't sure. More importantly, he really didn't care.

"At least it's useful, damn animal," Kanda murmured under his breath, scanning the camp.

Allen crouched down by his dead feathery companion and with a final heart-wrenching sob he stood up again and dashed out of the tent before the two men could even react.

"Idiot!" Kanda yelled after him, stumbling forward as he tried to grab his hand, only in vain. "Get him!" he screeched after Lavi as he ran to the side where a Forsworn was already drawing his bow.

Lavi spun on his heel at the command and dashed after Allen, pulling short of a weapon swung his way and bouncing around to give chase.

"Damn it, Allen, just hold up!" he barked, preparing a nice fireball to send at the archer, only for the white-haired lad to beat him to it in a way that left the redhead blinking in surprise.

The whitehead stopped in the middle of the camp, his shoulders tense and fists clenched from anger. Some of the Forsworn stopped in their tracks when they saw him and charged at him instead of the two other men.

After all, they couldn't let their sacrifice walk around just like that - not after the shaman performed the ritual.

Allen heard his two companions yell at him from the back but paid the warning no heed. Instead of that, he drew a deep breath, summoning all the remaining powers he had and shouted.

"IIZ SLEN NUS!" echoed across the land, spooking all the animals around. And then everything fell silent and all that was left of the Forsworn around Allen were just blocks of ice.

"Whoa," Lavi gaped, at first hesitating them stepping closer to poke at the Forswornsickles and watch as one of them toppled to the ground. He was both impressed, shocked, and perhaps even a little intimidated. "Remind me not to get on your bad side. How did you do that?"

Allen huffed angrily, turning around to glare at the rest of the enemies who were thankfully smart enough to retreat. Kanda cocked an eyebrow and sheathed his sword.

"How indeed."

Allen shrunk slightly when he saw the two men looking at him and pouted. He really shouldn't be boasting about being a dragon around two dragonborn. At least not until he has the Elder Scroll in his hands.

"I-I-" he paused, waging all his possibilities in his mind before shrugging. Sometimes the truth was the best lie. "I told you already!" he said, waggling his finger at them. "I'm a mighty dragon!" he pointed the finger at them, not really noticing how the two exchanged doubtful looks, "and if you hurt me I'm going to eat you!"

Kanda stared at him, his brows almost touching his hairline.

Lavi, for his part, stared a few moments longer in scrutiny then burst out laughing and just about doubled over.

"A dragon indeed, with that kinda temper!" he mused. "Can't say I've seen a spell like that before but it sure came out useful, ya?" He tossed an arm over Allen's shoulders. "Important thing is we all survived!" The chicken excluded.

Just as Lavi said that, another sob escaped from Allen's mouth. "Not all!"

"Oh, come on!" Kanda rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air, marching off to restrain his horse who decided it was his mission to destroy everything in the camp, "we'll get you another chicken!"

"It will not be the same!" Allen countered, his voice shaking, "how would you like it if your horse died?"

Kanda turned around, tugging Shadowmere's reins. He looked thoughtful for a second, his eyes scanning the horse, "that would actually save me a lot of trouble," he said, sounding very serious all of a sudden.

That seemed to upset the whitehead more.

"You beast!" He called outrageously.

"Sorry to inform you of this but not everyone loves their animals the way you do, Allen-buddy," Lavi informed. "Come to think of it..." He glanced over at Kanda. "Isn't Shadowmere some kinda immortal Daedric horse or whatever? I certainly know normal horses don't got glowy red eyes."

Kanda tch-ed, leading the horse to Allen and putting the reins in his hand. The whitehead's frown morphed into a questioning look.

"Here," the swordsman said, "a new pet, until we find you another clucking thing."

With that he turned on his heel to snoop around the chests for food and handy things.

Lavi barked laughter.

"You just want an excuse to get rid of it, huh, Yuu?" Lavi teased, removing his arm from Allen's shoulders and joining him in searching for things they could take that might be of use, or that they could pawn off later once they reached Markarth.

* * *

Allen remained sulking in silence until the evening, glaring ahead without even blinking. He stayed rigid even when they offered him dinner, which began to stir some uneasy feelings in the two men. The sprout could, after all, eat a bear if he had at least half a mind to do it.

Kanda gave Lavi a helpless look when the brat refused the meat they looted in the camp, jerking his head towards him as a sign of _'do something about this'_.

Lavi should have known it'd end up his responsibility to cheer up the brat. Kanda was not the babysitter type. Inwardly sighing, he shimmied in next to the white-haired lad, leaning over his shoulder.

"Hey, Allen, you should really eat, ya know?" he tried to coax. "It ain't good to skip meals, 'specially for someone of your stature, and we still got a long ways to go. Y'know I bet if Tim had been a chicken that could talk - I mean, not that there's any talking chickens that I know of - he'd probably be tellin' ya that you shouldn't stay all down in the dumps over this. It's kinda like that old saying about spilt milk, ya? It's rough but you shouldn't dwell too much on things that can't be changed. Doesn't help anybody if ya do."

Allen slowly turned his face to Lavi, the dull look replaced with a saddened grimace and a quivering lip.

The sound of Kanda slapping his forehead echoed around.

Just as the whitehead was about to say the name starting with "T", he froze and stared at the sky, his sadness completely forgotten.

"Er... no, that's not-... please don't-..." Lavi froze and followed Allen's gaze, dreading the incoming sight. "...cry..."

Just what they needed right now! Another dragon!

Seeing Allen's expression and the lad opening his mouth to clearly shout at the damn beast only made that dread grow, Lavi smacking a hand over the white-haired boy's mouth, snaking the other arm around his waist, and bolting for the bushes to hide.

Allen thrashed around, trying to bite Lavi but the man's hand was too big and too strong and he couldn't move his head one bit.

Kanda joined them in the bushes a second later, all tense and edgy, palming his sword and glaring at the whitehead so fiercely that it made him cease his attempts to pry Lavi off.

"You so as much peep now, you won't be able to make a sound for the rest of your life," he threatened, but his voice sounded rather strained.

"I wouldn't test him," Lavi added for good measure, watching to see if the dragon would simply keep flying or not. He really hoped it would. "Yuu isn't someone that likes making empty threats." Most of the time, of course, but few people were the exception and usually it entailed being good enough to avoid such threats on one's own merit.

Allen whined, scratching Lavi's arm but still in vain. He watched the sky with yearning but the dragon soon flew away, and the only thing that was left was its distant cry. He felt the redhead's hand go slack and he used the chance to convey his upset feelings with a bite.

The thief yelped and withdrew the offended limb only to have his jewels crushed by the sprout's fist.

"Son... of...a-!" Lavi moaned after doubling over, rolling around in pain. "You- you save a guy from some creepy, occult knife rituals twice... a-and this is the thanks ya get!"

"Kanda was the one who came first!" Allen retorted, sticking his tongue out and marching back to the fire where he plopped down and dug into the food he was offered before. He slowly came to the conclusion that he would not be able to get rid of those two before he gets his hands on the Elder Scroll.

The black haired assassin let out a long breath he was probably holding in ever since the dragon showed up and slumped next to the squirming thief. "Come on, idiot. I'll be taking the first watch."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A dragon´s look on certain things… Allen is a young dragon indeed.

"Markarth at last!" Lavi declared happily, sporting a nice scratch below the eye from a trio of Forsworn that thought it all fine-and-dandy to ambush them on the road just outside Kolskeggr Mine. They had quickly learned that they were sadly mistaken to attempt it.

Marching across the hills had definitely cut their travel time by at least a day or two, and now they were being rewarded for it, even if it had given them a bit of trouble a couple times along the way.

The stone-and-Dwarven-metal towers and walls were a welcoming sight, as were the stables located just outside the city, stocked well full of at least a few good horses, most of them dark brown Paints.

"Now then, we just have to find my contact."

"Who exactly are we looking for?" Kanda asked, squinting at Lavi.

"Quit looking at me like that, Yuu. It's no one that'll get us into trouble or anything!" the redhead returned as they walked up the steps and through the doors into the city.

The main street was bustling with activity; people entering and leaving the inn just ahead and slightly to the left, merchants selling things at a small stall slightly ahead to the right, and guards patrolling the streets for anything worth worrying about.

"They won't be too hard for me to find on my own. Why don't you and Snowy take it easy, catch a drink or pawn off some of the junk we picked up along the way to some of these merchants, while I go an' talk to 'em?" Even as he said this, his single eye was scanning the streets, searching for any familiar faces that might catch his eye immediately.

Allen tilted his head curiously as he eyed the redhead. Kanda squinted harder, scoffing doubtfully.

"You seem a little bit too eager to get rid of us, rabbit." he scanned the crowd, too, "just what are you up to?" Nothing good, that's for sure. He tried to dodge with not mentioning the person's gender and that on its own told Kanda a lot. "You're not really here for the horses, are you?" he said then, frowning. Allen shifted in the saddle, this time watching the assassin.

"No, we're definitely here for the horses," Lavi promised, smiling innocently and patting the man on the shoulder a good few times to emphasize his words. "I just have a bit 'o convincing to do first, that's all." Without waiting for further interrogation, Lavi sauntered off, only briefly glancing back to add, "Keep an eye on him while I'm off! Anything happens t' get in the way of this job o' mine, I'm taking it outta your hide!"

"Sure," Kanda grumbled dryly, looking up at Allen, "you'll stay by my side at all costs, or else..." he trailed off, resisting the urge to waggle his finger at the brat.

He was just about to step further in when a guard approached him, telling him to leave the horse in the stables to which Kanda replied with a few chosen words and a bunch of threats, but he complied anyway in the end. Allen was silent all the time, shuffling behind the swordsman like he was told.

Kanda noticed his slightly wide-eyed look and tense shoulders and poked the middle of the brat's forehead, making him yelp.

"What's the matter?" he asked, trying to follow Allen's stare.

"He felt different," the whitehead commented, tilting his head like a little pup.

"The rabbit?"

"Yeah, he felt... different."

Kanda sighed and tugged on one of the sprout's white locks. "He's pretty damn different," he said, jerking his head to the side, "come on, we're going to make some money."

Allen nodded and followed obediently - Kanda guessed that the only reason why he was not his bitchy-bratty self was because he still missed his little animal companion.

"You stay near me and don't talk," the swordsman warned, making his way past the noisy waterfall, casually nodding to the nearby patrolling guard as he adjusted his loot-filled bag on his shoulder. Kanda led the brat to a heavy looking golden door, which he opened only enough for them to slip through and ushered Allen further in when he froze in mid step.

Kanda let the bag drop on the floor in a rather threatening manner and dragged his eyes over the inhabitants who were busy eyeing the sprout. Only one of them - a woman with dark hair and a scar on her face - was brave enough to speak up.

"How can we help you, gentlemen?" she asked with fake politeness, hopping down from the table she was sitting on.

"I have stuff to sell," Kanda said gruffly, gesturing to the bag.

"Really..." she trailed off, her eyes stopping on the white-haired lad.

"That is not for sale."

She grinned then, baring her unsettlingly pointy teeth, "pity."

* * *

 

"Pleasure doing business with ya!" the woman called, waving after them happily as they slipped out of the hall.

"Whatever," Kanda grumbled, muttering curses under his breath, Allen close on his heels.

"I think she might have scammed you," Allen pointed out, looking from the man's face to the bag of coin's in his hand.

"You don't say," the swordsman growled in annoyance, hastily tying the bag to his belt. "Come on, let's go grab some food."

He started heading to the Silver-blood Inn, already considering the possibility of finding someone who would bet his money on a fistfight. They walked down the moss-covered stony stairs and under a bridge when Kanda felt a tug on his sleeve.

"What?" he asked, turning around to look at the beansprout, who was pointing somewhere behind him.

"Lavi!" Allen called, and that was enough for Kanda to whirl around to follow the brat's eyes only to find the thrice-damned rabbit swaggering off with a black-haired woman.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Kanda growled, bristling.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked, curiously staring after the retreating redhead.

"That fucking lecher! I knew it wouldn't be just for the horses!"

* * *

 

Indeed, finding his contact wasn't the hard part. Figuring out a good place to slink off to alone where no one would bother them was more the issue. Luckily for Lavi, he didn't need to do his usual sneaking and lockpicking to access the most remote and guarded corners of the city when it came to Markarth.

He could barely contain a shit-eating grin as he was led along by the hand, following like a love-struck puppy with its tail beating a mile per minute as they crossed an exposed terrace pathway to a door hidden in the cliffs, and an isolated study beyond that which was unoccupied.

"An' yer sure no one else is gonna be usin' this place?"

"Not for a few hours," the girl laughed lightly. "My brother is too busy with his work right now and hardly anyone else visits it unless he's here."

Lavi hummed, unconcerned but likewise relieved. When they reached one of the two beds, she sat down on the edge, and he kneeled on the frame to lean over her, nestling his face against her neck and inhaling deeply, taking his while to commit her scent to memory.

"I'm gonna need a favor," he started to edge in. "If it's okay an' all anyway."

"Oh?"

"Gotta get to Riften and there's some other guys with me too. We need some horses. Just two of 'em though," Lavi explained tentatively.

"Is that why you came to see me?"

Lavi cracked a smile against her neck, sitting back slightly. "That might'a been my excuse to get them into Markarth where I could see you. My companions take themselves very seriously. I'm not sure either of them would think o' women even if you planted it in their heads," he said, leaning in for a tender kiss and enjoying her fingers combing through his hair.

" 'Women', plural huh?" she teased, managing to earn the pout of a kicked dog.

"Don' be like that, Lena! Sure, I can appreciate a nice babe when I see 'em, but doesn't mean I'd ever want to be with 'em like you!"

She rolled her eyes but smiled fondly, wrapping her arms around him with another kiss and coaxing him into bed with the tug of her weight. Not that it took much effort, with the redhead being so quick to fill his space with another warm body and touch when he could.

"-although I really do need those horses," he managed around their affections.

"Alright, you made your point," she told him, tapping his nose with her finger teasingly. "You're going to have to earn them first though."

Lavi only smiled, beaming eagerly as hands started to wander. "And how you want me to do that?"

"I think you already know," she returned as he started nibbling at her neck.

"Thought you'd never ask."

* * *

 

Kanda dragged the whitehead after him, violently cussing under his breath, which made everyone who passed them slightly uneasy and suspicious.

"Kanda!" Allen whined, trying to stumble less on the uneven cobblestone that covered the streets. He had quite some trouble keeping up with the swordsman's long strides. "Kanda, what is wrong? Did Lavi do something bad?"

_Yes_ , he wanted to say, but he didn't want to sound like a stubborn child. "No, he didn't." Well, at least he hoped he didn't. If they won't have the horses by tomorrow, he is going to make sure his ginger friend won't be running after any other ladies. Ever.

"Is it because of that woman?" Allen continued, refusing to drop the subject. Lavi smelled like a rabbit in heat before they entered the city. Kanda didn't have that smell, not even before that - so Allen guessed it wasn't like the mating period has begun, though he remembered reading some king of book during his imprisonment in Solitude about humans and their breeding rituals. It was interesting but he didn't understand it anyway. Too complicated.

He hated that smell - it made him remember the things he had to endure while that old mage Hefadum still had him bound by his spells. That's why he also hated sleeping with Lavi close. He reeked of it, unlike Kanda whose scent was much milder and rarer.

Allen heard the assassin heave a sigh as he dragged him to the inn and sat him down at a table in the corner, ordering him to stay put until he brought the food. The dragon-turned-human watched the other man drink his ale in silence, not sure whether asking more questions about Lavi would be welcome. Maybe he and Lavi fought over that female and he lost - but that was very unlikely. Was he upset that Lavi wanted an offspring?

A sudden thought occurred to him. What if something has happened to Kanda's mate and their young? Was it the reason behind the man's constant bitterness?

"Sprout," hearing the nickname tore Allen out of his musing, "I'm going to teach you how to ride a horse."

"What? But why? I can already ride it."

"You can sit on it, while I steer it for you. You need to learn how to ride on your own." It was a little bit annoying to play the sprout's nanny and he also didn't feel like riding with someone else.

He dragged the whitehead to the city outskirts and bullied the stable master to lend them a horse for a few hours, promising that they would only stay close the stables. Problem was, Kanda couldn't even get the horse close to the beansprout. No matter how hard he yanked at their reins, the horses just refused to get close. They neighed and kicked and whined, but didn't move. The animals were so crazed that the owner had shooed them away in the end.

Much to Kanda's annoyance, they returned to the inn, ordering a room and a mountain of food. The assassin collapsed onto the left side of the double bed and started undoing the belts on his armor while he watched Allen make himself comfortable on the other from the corner of his eye. He also couldn't help but notice the shorter male's curious stares.

As Allen inhaled the ordered food, Kanda busied himself with maintaining the flames.

"Kanda?" he heard the whitehead ask tentatively, and couldn't help but to sigh. Here it comes. "Do you have a mate?"

The fuck?!

He slowly turned his head to gape at the damned beansprout. "Excuse me?"

"You know, like Lavi."

Kanda made a mental note to strangle the idiot and cook his meat next time. "It's called a partner or a spouse, dummy, not a mate. And what, by the love of Sithis, made you ask that?"

"You seemed upset when Lavi left with his... partner."

The assassin face twisted into a disgusted grimace but before he could answer, a commotion from outside interrupted him.

* * *

 

When Lavi returned from his "negotiations" and went to find Kanda and Allen, it was with a rather self-satisfied smile plastered on his face that just about split his face in half and an extra spring to his step, humming some random tune under his breath he was sure he'd heard a bard sing at some point in some inn somewhere.

Didn't really matter. He'd gotten everything he intended on getting in Markarth already and was sure the other two would be happy to know they could leave just about whenever now.

Dusk was bearing down in faint hues of red and gold in the sky, and the sun dipping beneath the horizon left much of the street cast in partial shadow, torches and lanterns on the street becoming lit and more prominently noticed.

He assumed it likely that Kanda and Allen were still at the inn, though it probably wouldn't be difficult to find them if not. At any rate, he went in for a drink, asked where his companions might be staying, and then sauntered off towards the room Kanda had paid for to find his companions.

Just as he did, he heard someone behind him with his pockets slightly lightened - Lavi's proud handiwork, he might add - snarl about his coin going missing and started interrogating everyone still within sight of who-done-it. Lavi only silently snickered to himself, already disappearing from sight, and lightly rapped a fist on the door just before entering.

"Good evening, gentleman!" he greeted the other two where he found them.

"Have you secured your little horse?" Kanda remarked snappily, turning back to the fire.

"Yep! You will be happy to know that our horses have been secured! We can leave first thing tomorrow! Or tonight if you like, though I assume morning is preferred."

"How many horses?" Kanda asked, just to make sure. The sprout is going to be a problem. Horses seemed to hate him so he will have to ride Shadowmere, that's for sure.

Then there was the question of defense - his dumb Daedric horse charged into battle whenever she had the chance and having the sprout riding her while something happened was not a good idea if they didn't want him to get stomped to death.

"Well seein' as you already got one of your own, just the two," Lavi assured, holding up two fingers to emphasize. "Is that gonna be a problem?"

"Our compass is going to be a problem," Kanda clarified. "Try taking him out near the stables - I'm sure you'll be unpleasantly surprised at what he can do."

Allen pouted sulkily, stubbornly avoiding any eye contact. He gathered the covers from the bed and hoarded them around himself while muttering 'not my fault' quietly under his breath.

Lavi glanced between them in question, slowly piecing together what Kanda was referring to.

"Don't tell me the other horses don't like 'im either?" Judging by Kanda's face, that was a definitive _`yes`_. "We-ll... you managed to get Shadowmere to be okay with him, right? Why not just take one o' the other horses for yourself and let him ride him... or her... or... it?" He paused and looked as though he was seriously trying to contemplate what gender a Daedric horse would have.

"Another problem is that my idiotic mare likes to take a part in all the fights," Kanda reminded, biting the inside of his cheek. He will have to either ride with the beansprout - the idea didn't please him one bit - or he will hope that they will be fast enough to dispose of any possible danger before his horse decides to save the day herself.

Another idea occurred to him.

"Hey, we can take turns."

"I guess that's always an option," Lavi contemplated, placing a hand to his chin in thought. "Although I'm not terribly sure why you consider a willing warhorse such a bad thing. Ah, but whatever, in the end, it works out," he said, shaking his thoughts off. "Point is, we got enough horses between us regardless of how things turn out, so it shouldn't take us long at all to reach Riften, then it's off to wherever this scroll thing is located."

"It is a bad thing when it carries someone who can't even hold on properly," Kanda commented dryly, making Allen mutter something under his breath again. "Anyway, we can put all the baggage on the third horse and take turns in riding with the little insane idiot. Also, you're taking the ground tonight, so make yourself comfortable."

Lavi rolled his single eye.

"Fine, I'll take the floor, this time, but only cuz I'm not the one whose likely to have a horse trying to stomp his face in next time 'e sleeps," Lavi said, finding a spot that seemed decent enough. "Not like it makes much different when everyone has a stone bed in Markarth. I mean, how much skooma these people gotta be drinking to think that's a good idea? I thought the point of beds was to have somethin' soft to go home to?

Kanda scowled at the last part and after adding one more log the fire and dusting his hands, he walked out of the room.

Allen stared after him with a small frown on his face and then turned to face Lavi, sniffing the air curiously.

The horrible smell was gone, just as he expected.

"He's sure in a sour mood," Lavi chuckled, making himself comfortable. "Well... I mean he's kind of always in a sour mood but more so than usual it seems like. Did you annoy 'im or something?" Lavi questioned, though the smile on his face told him he expected as much already by the earlier exchanges.

Allen grimaced in offense. "It is your fault!" he said quietly and promptly turned away from the conversation, opting to hole himself in his little makeshift bunker he made from all the covers and skins on the bed.

Before Lavi could voice any questions, Kanda walked in, carrying several bottles of ale. He threw one at the redhead and put the rest on the little bedside table, opening one and chugging it down in one go.

"Your turn to look after the brat," he said with a cocky smile on his face.

Allen grumbled something from within his little fort and poked his head out, staring at the swordsman. "Are you going to get drunk?" he asked. Kanda replied with an affirmative. "Is it because you don't have a mate?"

"I am going to throw you into the fire if you don't shut up, sprout," the man warned, opening another bottle.

"I am going to find you a mate!" Allen answered with determination and sprung out of the bed, hurrying outside.

Lavi blinked and stared at the doorway that Allen had disappeared out of, before slowly glancing over at Kanda with a look of mute bafflement, visibly trying to figure out what just happened in his mind. He also looked torn between going after Allen and prying, his curiosity winning out even as he pushed himself up to pursue in another moment.

"What... was that all about?"

Kanda rolled his eyes and sighed, jerking his head towards the door. "Just keep an eye on him before he does something that will get us in jail."

Lavi shrugged, sauntering after where he'd seen Allen disappear to. "Whatever ya' say, Yuu."


	11. Chapter 11

The little hitch in Allen's genial plan was when he exited the inn, walked to the wrong direction - of course - and stumbled upon the one thing he just couldn't ignore.

Chickens.

He barely contained his delighted squeal when he crossed the gate. They immediately flocked around him as he kneeled down and everything in the world was perfect until the second he remembered that his beloved Tim was not around anymore. He could still smell the bird's blood his clothes.

Suffice to say, it wasn't terribly hard for Lavi to find him, especially given that there wasn't much of anyone else in town besides old men who had white hair. He couldn't help but tilt his head slightly at how readily chickens seemed to flock around the young man, especially given horses seemed repulsed by his very presence.

"I've heard of tryin' to pick up chicks," Lavi snickered, coming to stand a short distance away and standing most of his weight on one leg, casually placing his hands on his hips and raising his brows. "But this is simply ridiculous."

Allen turned around to stare at the redhead, slightly startled. He seemed to think about what was said, his head tilted to the side before he picked up the nearest clucking animal and held it in front of him.

"I picked up a chick," he said, "now what?"

Lavi merely blinked, then laughed, tousling Allen's hair. "It's a figure o' speech, man. Don't be so literal," he told him, the irony of this statement not lost on the redhead. "The art is clearly lost on you."

Allen huffed, looking back at the chicken in his arms, uncertain what to do. He put the animal on the ground again and squatted next to it, gently petting its back.

"Kanda is upset," he said finally, staring ahead.

"I'll say," Lavi mused, crouching on the balls of his feet. "But that's what you get for bringing up weird topics like that around him. I think you're lucky he didn't make you physically incapable of having children, after a comment like that one you made," the redhead laughed.

"But why?" He shook his head then as if dismissing the thought, "who was that woman?"

Once more, Lavi blinked, then bent his head to rub the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Oh, so that's where that came from, huh? Eheh... we-ll... she's not really..."

No. No he couldn't really say that she was no one special because that couldn't be further from the truth.

"...she's... uh... well we've been close friends for a couple o' years and she's super sweet and tries to help out where she can for people she likes so I figured she could help us out, and lo and behold, she came through. It's thanks to her we got the horses we needed, y'know?" he said, evasively skirting around it. "Anyway, she's got this really overprotective brother though so it ain't like she and I are... uh... well, you know what I'm saying? Guy might flay me faster 'an Yuu would on one of those bad days o' his if I thought o' her like that."

"A brother, eh?" Allen asked slowly, very slowly, and tilted his head yet again but not in that cute kind of way, but more like in that oh-really-now kind of way. "So Kanda knows this woman?" he asked, squinting suspiciously.

"Pretty sure they've probably met at some point," Lavi hummed, contemplating that. " 'might even be friends themselves, which seems kinda odd in a way to think of Yuu having friends but she's very good at being likeable," Lavi chuckled. If he noticed anything about Allen's shift in demeanor, he didn't show it. "Why do you ask?

The whitehead squinted harder and bit his lower lip, shaking his head in the end.

"Well, at least you don't stink anymore," he commented, going back to petting the chickens.

"Huh?" Lavi glanced over himself in scrutiny. "Did I stink?"

Yes," Allen nodded, "but you don't anymore." He stood up, making all the animals around him cluck in protest, and walked off down the street, curiously looking at the houses, no longer interested in entertaining the redhead.

Several guards paused to glance at him suspiciously but the whitehead kept walking, not even acknowledging their existence. That is, until one of the guards grabbed him by his arm - that finally shattered his dreamy look.

"What are you up to, citizen?" the guard barked, making Allen stutter in slight panic.

"Hey! Hands off!" Lavi barked, trotting up and wrapping his arms around the younger male to pull him away, giving the guard a dirty look. Honestly! Why did everyone seem to have such an interest in his cash-cow?! If it wasn't one thing, it was another, though at least it didn't appear to be a pervert this time. "Can't a couple o' guys just take a stroll without it bein' a problem anymore?"

The guard scoffed. "You are treading a forbidden area, leave!" He gestured to the entrance of the Cidhna mine.

Allen craned his neck to look behind the man's shoulder and frowned.

"Why is it forbidden?" he asked, making the guard give him an ugly, toothy grin.

"Would you like to find out, little boy?"

Lavi rolled his eye and grabbed Allen by the wrist, tugging him along. "C'mon, Snowy, nothin' to see in there but a bunch'a ruffians and dirt anyhow," he advised, not wanting his little investment to get them thrown into prison just because of some stupid tempers.

He knew the reputation of Cidhna Mine, and more importantly the corruption of the guards who kept it, all too well. Damn place was legendary.

"Why don't we find something fun to occupy our time with?"

"What kind of fun?" the lad asked, his voice laced with mild worry.

Lavi paused and hummed, glancing around and up the hill of stone in the center of the city in scrutiny, specifically at the rooftop of a building near the guard tower at the highest point, then over his shoulder at the Cidhna Mine entrance. A foxlike smirk crept across his face as he tugged Allen along again.

"I think I got just the thing!" he whispered mischievously.

Before long, he'd bought a good two bottles of strong wine and led Allen up to the rooftop he'd spied earlier, which was fairly easy to reach if one already knew how to get up there, hopping up the rocks piled against one side of it. There was dirt and snow, even a small juniper tree growing atop the structure.

Sitting down - wine, Allen, and all - he took some snow from the rooftop and packed it tight in his palm, eyeing the darkened entrance of the prison-mine below with a frown at the guard from earlier a fair distance away.

" _'Would you like to find out, little boy?'_ Pah! Nerve o' that guy. Time for a lil' game I like to call ` _Hit, Miss, and Drink`_ , and I know just who to start with." He offered Allen a grin. "A'ight, so here's how this game works! You gotta take a snowball and chuck it at someone below, and try to hit 'em! If you miss, you gotta take a swig of wine!"

Allen's mouth formed a little 'o' before he kneeled at the edge of the roof and looked around. He hummed thoughtfully and nodded.

"Alright," he said, "you first!"

Lavi smiled, wearing a Cheshire grin that nearly split his face in half as he tried to gauge the distance between where they were and the guard at the front of the mine, lining up his throw.

When he was ready, he sent it sailing, hitting his mark. Barely, but definitely hitting them. The exclamation of surprise and anger from the guard made Lavi double over and have to bite his lip hard to keep from roaring aloud with laughter, watching the guards start scrambling about searching for their assaulter.

Managing to contain himself down to snickers, he packed up a snowball and handed to his companion.

"Got mine! Now it's your turn."

Allen clapped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing. Men surely had weird sense of humour - not that he was complaining.

He watched the guards draw their weapons and stalk around. Forming a snowball, he stood up and quickly aimed, throwing it into the distance. His shot was not as lucky as Lavi's but it still made them stifle their laughter as all of the guards changed their direction at once to follow the sound.

He crouched back down, feeling Lavi poking his shoulder and thrusting the wine bottle into his hands.

"That's disgusting!" Allen grimaced after the fist swig, coughing. "It burns my throat!"

"You don't drink alcohol for the flavor," Lavi chuckled, patting Allen on the head like he was placating a child. "You drink juice or cider for the flavor. Alcohol's got a whole different kind of appeal."

That said, he packed up another snowball and threw it, but it missed on account that one of the guards - unknowingly - moved away from it at the last second.

"Well, damn!" Lavi snapped his fingers with a frown. "Bottoms up, I guess!" he said, taking his own swig.

Allen's next shot was true and they both double over when they heard the curses of the guard whose helmet Allen knocked off. The guards' curses became progressively louder and their movements more aggressive as they ran to and fro, unable to find the attacker.

"So how long you think we can keep this up before they start screamin' that the sky is falling?" Lavi laughed to his companion, chucking another snowball that pelted a man in the back, making the guy curse and whirl around screaming about how he was going to _'find and gut the one responsible'_.

Not that Lavi was terribly worried. He'd picked their particular perch for the obvious reason that no one would think to look there. One of the advantages to being a master thief was always knowing the best places to hide.

Allen giggled, throwing yet another snowball and missing. With a little disappointed sound he drank a mouthful of the vile-tasting wine and coughed.

"I think not long, but I suspect they start slaying each other soon enough."

True to that, the guards started suspecting each other - or so it seemed, based on the angry shoves and more curses - and two of them even started a brawl on the stairs.

"Eh, one less future problem for me, then," Lavi shrugged, deciding to aim for a guard further away, lest the closer ones wise up and spot them.

Sadly, he missed, but the sound at least drew their attention.

"Y'know for someone who excels at hurling fireballs you'd think my aim with ones made of snow would be a bit better," he said, just before tipping the wine bottle back for another chug.

Allen's next throw was a miss too. "One would thing you do it on prrrpose," he slurred slightly, giggling.

"If I wanted an excuse to get drunk, I'd just drink," Lavi laughed back, smirking as he added with a slight nudge of the elbow, "you light-weight!"

They continued to play for a while, but it didn't take long for them to be too drunk to aim properly, most of their throws more or less missing and many of the guards tiring of chasing shadows.

"Aw, loogs like they all wen' away! K-ill joys!" Lavi slurred, taking another swig just for the sheer Hell of it at this point. He had more than simply a pleasant buzz going and didn't see much reason to hold back now. "Sho what'choo thinkin' we should do now, eh?"

Allen only hummed from the ground where he was lying, shifting to press his cheek to a splotch of snow that hasn't been thrown away yet.

He felt weird, with all that fire burning in his belly, and it was not like the icy fire he felt back when he was a dragon. This fire made his ears and cheeks burn and he couldn't feel his fingers anymore. Not even the cold snow under him.

"I wan t' slee-p" he hiccuped from the ground and giggled, curling into a ball like a cat.

"Hey! Y'can't sleep out here, y'know? Y'd end up freezin' t' dead!" Lavi slurred, nudging him up and tossing an unsteady arm over his shoulders. "C'mon Snowy, le'z go find Yuu, un'kay?"

Of course, saying and doing were two entirely different things. Their climb down from the roof almost ended in a bad tumble off of the roof itself, a definite tumble down the stairs at one point, and then a drunken stagger towards the inn.

Sadly, neither made it to the inn, instead veering somewhere off course until Allen decided that a flock of chickens made the perfect place to fall asleep, which Lavi, in a drunken stupor, somehow ended up agreeing to. And that was where they were the next morning when Kanda came, thoroughly passed out and half-buried in a dog-pile of clucking chickens that seemed happy enough to make nest perches out of both hungover, snoring boys.

The swordsman stared at them for a considerable amount of time before his mind finally registered what exactly he was seeing. Then the shouting started.

"You... ginger IDIOT!" he barked, kicking Lavi's side none-too-gently. "I told you to take care of him! What the heck have you two been doing?!"

Several heads turned towards them but none of the onlookers were brave enough to come close. Allen groaned drowsily and curled up, covering his ears and eyes with his hands.

"Nooo," he groaned weakly, sniffing, "don't shout, please!"

Allen's own groan was echoed by Lavi, though perhaps more pained as he reeled across the ground.

"Owwww... son of a bitch, Yuu! That hurt!" Of course it didn't help that his head was throbbing right along with his side. "An' what the kid said... you keep yellin' and my head just might split in half!"

"Don't call me that name and that's your problem! Get your stupid ass of the ground or I'll kick you to the inn," he yelled, shooing the chickens away, "and take care of the brat, idiot!"

Kanda left, throwing his hands into the air, grumbling under his breath and occasionally barking at any poor citizen who dared to look his way.

"Lavi," Allen sniffled on the ground, "I feel sick."

"That, Allen ol' buddy, is the unfortunate side-effect of drinking," Lavi grumbled, rolling onto his back and sighing wistfully. "The side-effect of drinking too much, anyway. If we drink a whole bunch of water, we should be fine though."

First he needed to motivate himself to get up and go get some though, the sound of the river and falls leading through and out of the city taunting him from several yards away.

"I feel as someone filled my mouth with sand!" the lad moaned, rolling around, clutching his gut and head. "What have you done to me! You have poisoned me! Traitor!"

"GET YOUR ASSES UP!" a distant scream that was undoubtedly Kanda's interrupted his moaning. Allen stuggled to stand up but he still ended up on his knees, with his forehead pressed against the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"Geez, what a hard-ass," Lavi muttered, sighing aloud and pushing himself to his feet. He winced and squinted his eye against the sunlight, his head throbbing enough to make him want to double over and bury his head in the dirt as well, but he knew that wouldn't help.

Grabbing Allen by the upper arm, he pulled him to his feet and towards the river.

"Come along, dragon-boy. Only thing that'll help with the hangover is water, food, and time, unfortunately."

"I don't think I can handle food now," the whitehead piped in, dragging his feet after Lavi.

Thankfully, the redhead was right - water truly did wonders in situations like these. The first thing Allen did when he was close enough to the water was dunking his head into it, staying like that until he couldn't hold his breath anymore. And how wonderfully cold the water was! He abruptly stood up and began to undo his clothes.

Lavi wasn't really paying a whole lot of attention to anything around him other than cupping water to drink, which was cold enough to make him start shivering, but he could always warm himself back up.

It was when an article of cloth fell over his head that he glanced up in surprise.

"Hey, just what're you doin'? You have any idea how cold it is out? You're gonna freeze your ass off!"

Allen merely laughed before peeling off the last bit of his clothes and stepped into the frigid water, disappearing in it completely with a satisfied sigh. When he poked his head through the surface and wiped his face with his hand. He couldn't help but to giggle at Lavi's dumbstruck look.

"You should try it," he said as he floated on his back, "it is so refreshing!"

"You're just crazy," Lavi stated, shaking his head and going back to cupping cold water to his lips. "And you'd better hope there are no slaughterfish in that water." He didn't think there would be so far upstream to Markarth, but one could never be too careful.

"No, really," the whitehead insisted, swimming back to the bank where Lavi stood, catching his ankle with one hand and cocking his head to one side, "come and try it! Or are you afraid?" he purred slyly, using his free hand to splash the man before bursting out into laughter.

Lavi yelped and shook the water away, looking somewhat annoyed.

"I ain't afraid! I just don't like the thought of getting frostbite or anything!" he protested. "Now... if we were in Eastmarch, with all the bubbling hot springs, that'd be a different story..." he said, looking wistful for a moment. They would have a long ways to travel first before that even begun to look like an option, and he regretted even thinking about it when it was so far out of reach.

The lad shrugged dismissively. "Suit yourself," he said, swimming off again, "your loss."

He spent another fifteen minutes bathing before Lavi got properly impatient - and maybe a little bit worried - before finally getting out of the water and dressing himself. He felt much better than before and just as he was tying his sash, his stomach let out a monstrous growl. A blush crept onto his cheeks when Lavi whipped his head around.

"Heh, looks like I can handle food now," he said sheepily.

"Good cuz you're not likely to get much chance out on the road," Lavi chuckled. His head still ached somewhat, but it was milder now. Food would do him some good as well.

He led them off to the inn where Kanda was impatiently waiting on the both of them, ordering up some breakfast and drinks - the ones without alcohol this time. The warm food was more than satisfying after the cold of the morning and water, and before long they were ready to set out.

The only thing left to do was discuss their route.

"So I was thinkin'..." Lavi began, smoothing out the creases of their weathered map on the counter. "We take the road that follows the river, past Old Hroldan here, an' then south. Yuu, if ya want, you can stop by the Brotherhood sanctuary and get your payment for offing that old guy back in Solitude, an' we can either rest there or in Faulkreath. Then we take the road through Helgen and through the pass south of the Throat of the World. We can stop in Ivarstead to rest, then head the rest o' the way to Riften to pick up my cube thingy."

Kanda hummed in agreement, his eyes not leaving the map.

"We could try travelling non-stop until we reach the sanctuary and then take rest there," he said, scratching his chin. The faster they'll go the better. "The road is quite even until there so it shouldn't be so bad. The other half, though, is an entirely different story. You said you have the cube-"

"Lexicon!" Allen corrected him.

"Whatever, beansprout, don't choke," Kanda dismissed him, "so, how about we make our journey a little bit shorter and you send someone with it to meet us in Ivarstead?" That would save them a lot of time. As he said that, Allen chose to butt in, squeezing between the two men, scanning the map as he munched on a cooked potato.

"That is a good idea," he said, mentally measuring the distance between the small town under the mountain and the Dwemer ruins where the scroll was, "it would be even better if the person came to Whiterun."

"Hm... if we could hire a courier, perhaps, but it's a gamble on whether or not they'd make it there ahead of us, especially with us being on horseback. Besides, what if something happens to whoever plans to meet us and loses the Lexicon? It'd be a pain in the ass, we might never find it again," he pointed out.

Lavi paused to think, placing a hand to his chin in thought, taking a quick glance around to be sure there were no opportunistic listeners and the bartender was busy, before glancing to Allen.

"Exactly where did you say this scroll was located again?"

A teasing smirk bloomed on Allen's face. "Nice try. Exactly like you, I am not taking any chances, but I can tell you it's not too far from Whiterun. A day of travel perhaps, maybe less," he informed, shifting to sit on his legs to see better.

Kanda tch-ed, gesturing to the innkeeper to give him another bottle before speaking up again. "Losing the lexicon would be a pain in ass, that's true," he sighed, "alright, we'll be going to Riften."

The only reason Lavi didn't press for more information from Allen (at the moment, anyway) was that he didn't want to make a scene and draw attention. If anyone in all of Tamriel was getting their hands on that scroll, it was going to be him and only - okay, so Kanda too, of course - him.

Three days or so was the distance they had between them and Riften. He was patient. More importantly, he was persistent annoyance incarnate and could drive even the most patient priest up a wall when he set his mind on something, and he did so without shame.

"Alright then, off to Riften it is!" he nodded, approving. Plus, the sooner they got on the road, the sooner he could pry without worrying about eavesdroppers.

"Right," Kanda slammed his palms against the table and stood up, heading towards the counter to pay for their meals and ale.

After they packed their things and made sure nobody was as much as looking their way as they exited the inn, they made their way towards the stables.

Now there was a different kind of problem ahead of them - or more like Kanda - and that was keeping the horses calm in the brat's presence. It was astonishing how they feared him, not to mention bothersome.

"Hey," Kanda grabbed Lavi by the elbow, stopping him in his tracks, "get the horses over to that tree over there." H jerked his head towards the general direction of a half-withered tree, "I don't want the stable master-... hold on, where's the brat?" he looked around, noticing that they were one whitehead short.

Lavi glanced around before spying Allen over by the flock of chickens that were practically burying the boy, who looked oddly sad as he hugged one after the other, murmuring something he couldn't hear, and setting them aside.

Suffice to say, setting them aside didn't keep the chickens from crowding around him again.

"I... think he's saying his goodbyes to all the chicks he picked up in town," Lavi said with a laugh, not yet tired of his chicken puns.

Kanda's jaw dropped momentarily, but then the noticed what kind of chicks Lavi meant and shook his head.

"By Sithis, what is with him and chickens?" He looked thoughtful for a second, "you think stealing one for him will keep his mouth shut? No, scratch that, I'm not riding with him AND his pet."

He turned around and stalked to the lad, his face twisted as if he had just ate a lemon. Allen looked slightly startled when the man dragged him away, but he didn't fight him - the clucking animals took care of that.

Kanda swore under his breath, cursing the chickens to Oblivion, promising a long and painful death to every single one as he tried not to wince at the vicious pecks his ankles had to endure while he dragged the sprout towards the tree. He didn't dare to kick them away because Allen was already screeching at him for his gruesome fantasies and he didn't really fancy making him more upset. Not since he's going to endure a three day's worth journey with him in his lap.

With a dark look thrown at the laughing redhead, Kanda sat under the tree and massaged his legs while Allen lectured him about fixing his attitude.


	12. Chapter 12

They rode out from Markarth onto the main road, Kanda and Allen in the lead on Shadowmere and Lavi riding in the middle on one of the horses they had gotten in the city, towing along the third one behind him with their supplies. At the very least, it meant less to carry themselves.  

Their way took them straight across the bridge that went over the river bleeding out of Markarth and into the stony hills, gloomy, withered trees lining the sides of their path. Most of the way, the only things to intercept their path were mountain goats that had more interest in consuming the last remaining blades of grass than anything else.

Most of the road was level with only few gently sloped exceptions, leading them along a silent river past a small shrine and an isolated inn with a grass-thatched roof.

The Throat of the World came into distant view just as they climbed higher past several old Nordic ruins, which brought them closer to the tundra after they took the path on the right. On the other side of the pass were forests of pine and cedar, and the climbing Jarrol mountains much further south, barely visible beyond the trees. They passed by a lone sawmill at one point, before heading into thicker woodland as mid-day dragged on towards dusk.

When the road forked, once again they turned right to head south. The rooftops of Faulkreath barely poked into view to their left some distance away. Further down the hill and just before the road bended, they turned sharply left through some trees and onto a dirt path, towards a pool of bubbling, black water.

"That door is still as creepy as ever," Lavi commented as his gaze wandered to the shadow of the rocks beneath the main road, where the aforementioned door - black and decorated in a massive carving of a skull with a glowing read hand-print on the temple - stood, sounding almost as though it was whispering and moaning ominously.

Kanda sent him a slightly surprised look.

"Been here before?" he asked, dismounting the horse and putting Allen down as well. "Don't let your guard down," he warned the redhead, pointing his finger at the whitehead, "I want to see you standing on my shadow all the time, is that clear?"

Allen mutely nodded, his face a perfect picture of a completely oblivious five-year-old kid.

"Well I've never been inside," Lavi chuckled, sliding down from his horse. "But I pride myself in knowin' a lot of things." That and the Thieves and Brotherhood had connections to one another, since their lines of work sometimes overlapped. "An' after this I'll be able to pride myself on knowin' a little more."

Kanda grunted in reply and opened the door. "Don't snoop around - you might get killed."

He walked in, leading the way down a cramped hallway and into the first room. He greeted Astrid, the blond leader of the brotherhood, who was hunched over an old map spread on the table.

"Bringing friends for a sleepover?" she asked with amusement when she turned around, probably too surprised to give a greeting in return. She briefly scanned the group until her eyes stopped on Lavi. "I know you," she said, squinting, as if she was trying to match his face with the correct name.

Kanda patiently waited until she remembered, grabbing Allen's collar as the sprout tried to sneak past him and down the stairs.

"Well hello there," Lavi greeted with a grin and a mock salute, surprisingly enough not letting his rather tactless tendency towards women get the better of him.

Mainly for the fact that he knew better where this one was concerned... not that he'd been quite so wise in the past.

"We-" meaning him and Kanda. "-sorta had some overlapping business in Solitude, so here I am."

"Ah, of course! The lewd guy from Ragged Flagon! You're still alive?" It was a rhetorical question but Astrid looked genuinely impressed.

"If you two are done," Kanda interrupted impatiently, flicking Allen's forehead as a punishment for his vain tries to sneak off, "I have to pick up my reward." He headed down the stairs, dragging the whitehead behind him. "Try to do that one more time, beansprout," Kanda murmured when they entered the main cave, tossing a casual nod towards Astrid's werewolf husband, "and I will make the rabbit carry you around."

Lavi merely smiled at Astrid with sheepish, false innocence and sauntered along at Kanda's heels, a little less adventurous than Allen to go sneaking off to explore. At least not right away. It would be wiser to let the other assassins see him as invited in following Kanda first, lest he get a dagger in his back, and then how would he be able to go after this scroll of his?

That didn't mean he didn't peer around the chamber they came into, part natural cave with pillars of joined stalagmites and stalactites, a small waterfall and pool on the right of the room, and a fire pit and work bench on the left. Flags with black handprints - the signature symbol of the Brotherhood - fluttered off the walls, and just above the falls was a round, stain-glass window of reds and golds with a skull in the center, giving him the chills. All the same, it had a certain sense of dark charm to it.

"This place is homey. I'm startin' to think I joined the wrong guild," he mused, before pausing as his head throbbed. There was almost a chanting in his head, low and in words that were entirely foreign to him, and his eyes were drawn to the half-circle wall in the corner, where a glow of bright blue seemed to blaze to life against the shadows, and a strange breeze from seemingly nowhere felt as if beckoning him towards it.

"What in Oblivion-?" Kanda cursed, clutching the side of his head when he felt and heard the same thing.

Allen looked confused, but he shortly noticed the Word Wall to their left, glancing between Lavi and Kanda in worry. Of all the places, they had a Wall here in the sanctuary! He focused on the thu'um carved into the wall.

"What is that?" Kanda asked, taking a step closer and making the markings light up.

Just like with the dragon before, an odd, crackling wind swirled around both him and Lavi when they drew close and the glow of the marks on the wall vanished, filling him with an odd sensation.

Lava glanced at Kanda with a confused tilt of his head. "What in Oblivion... was that? You saw it too, right?"

"I-" Kanda started, staring dumbly ahead but not really seeing anything. Allen moved around them, silver eyes watching them in unveiled wonder and interest. He moved to Lavi, circling him carefully before stopping in front of him. He experimentally poked his chest and leaned closer.

"What does it say?" he asked quietly, eyes flickering to Kanda and back, "the wall - what does it say?"

Lavi blinked, staring down at Allen with his own dumb expression.

"What? How should I know - it's just a bunch o' chicken scratch or something, far as I can tell." Not that he'd actually tried to read it. He figured maybe Allen was curious... then again, how did Allen even know it was words and not something else? He squinted at it.

Strangely enough, something about it just sort of clicked into place and he hummed, following the lines of markings with his pointer finger.

"Something like... _Nonvul Bron dahmaan daar rot do fin fodiiz bormah wa_ _ **Krii**_ _ko morokei kein los wa zin geinmaar wa dir ko ko morokei kein los wa zin pah do keizaal_."

He was half-waiting for Kanda to start accusing him of making all of that up, but something he couldn't explain put sounds to the markings. The sounds didn't make any sense to him though, and he couldn't connect them to a translation he could actually understand. One stuck out to him more for some reason, however, and he scratched his head idly.

"I feel like the ' _Krii'_ is especially important here..."

"Yes, it is," Allen murmured, backing away slightly as he fiddled with the hem of his robes. He silently returned to Kanda's shadow, looking lost in thoughts.

Kanda threw Lavi a questioning look and cuffed Allen on the back of his head. The smaller male hissed and puffed out his cheeks but he didn't move from the assassin's side.

"Anyway," Kanda grumbled, shooting a last, mildly concerned look at Allen and turned to Astrid, "where were we?"

The other assassin, along with few others, stared at the trio in various degrees of suspicion, but none of them dared to voice their questions until Astrid intervened.

"What...was that?" Neither of them missed how her hand ever-so-subtly inched for the knife on her thigh.

Kanda and Lavi shared another glance.

"Some ghostly shit, that's for sure, but never mind that," Kanda barked, shrugging theatrically, "I came for my money - NAZIR!" he shouted and all the tension in the room was magically gone. With an air of nonchalance that didn't quite veil the challenge for anyone to dare to question him, he swaggered out of the room to look for his pay, Allen trotting after him.

Lavi didn't miss the tension, though he played the "too-dumb-to-notice" card. He was somewhat used to suspicion, and if things, for one reason or another, turned dicey, he knew he could slip away easily enough without actually being caught or killed.

Seemed Kanda's shouting was a good cure for that though and he smirked, following Kanda just far enough to escape the leery gazes of the other assassins and then ducked away to look around on his own a little, silent and practiced as a mouse. Since when did a thief look for anything worth taking in front of the people who owned it, anyway?

He found a few coins laying around in drawers and chests - maybe about fifty gold in total, some herbs that would be good for making potions and poisons, some rings and potions, and two amethyst gems. Sadly, the assassins were a little too aware of his presence for him to be able to lift anything off their pockets, but what he did manage to get was still worth the look-around.

It took Kanda approximately half an hour to get his money and suffer through all the questions Nazir threw at him whilst eyeing Allen with interest.

"Your..." the Redguard gestured to the younger male, visibly struggling to find the right word, before stuttering, "pet - price?" Allen frowned and Kanda sighed for what felt like the millionth time.

"My price," he said monotonously. "Not _that_ kind of price!" he added hastily when Nazir bulged his eyes at him. Kanda ignored the offended slap on his back and Allen's upset huffing. "If you've got some contracts for Riften, I can take them, but nothing else. Not until I come back."

"Busy?" Nazir asked, already reaching for a scroll on his left, his eyes flickering to Allen in silent question.

Having explored the rest of the place already, Lavi returned. He wondered for a moment about if he might have a shot at nabbing something off the distracted Redguard. but Kanda saw him before he could follow through and he smiled innocently, passing it up.

Pickpocket someone in front of Kanda's keen eyes? Ha! Yeah right.

"Y'could say that," he interjected. "We're sort of partnering for a job."

Kanda shuffled on the spot tensely and nailed him with a look that clearly told the thief that he knew exactly what he was doing but was willing to keep his mouth shut for the sake of keeping blood from spilling on the dining table Allen was eyeing quite eagerly.

Nazir silently shook his head but Kanda was sure his eyes lingered on Lavi's pockets a little longer than necessary. With a calculating look in Lavi's direction, he rolled up the scroll and handed it to Kanda.

"There is one contract - nothing difficult. There have been a few complains about a red-haired man with worsened sight..." he trailed off purposefully.

Kanda almost laughed. "Well it can't be helped," he said, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling. "Who could that be, I wonder?"

"Haven't got a clue!" Lavi declared purposely as he sat down next to Allen, not willing to give either of them the satisfaction of freaking him out. Besides, it wasn't like no one had tried to put out a hit on him once before... or maybe a few times before. Thieves tended to make enemies.

Lavi had been antagonizing and dodging Kanda's blade whenever he ran into the guy off and on for _years_ anyway. What was one more time? Plus, he had the Lexicon thing that Kanda would need to get to the Elder Scroll. Kanda couldn't simply just off him before then.

"Guess you'd better figure all that out then," Lavi continued to muse, popping a piece of cooked pheasant into his mouth, being less sneaky about it than Allen was attempting to be.

Kanda made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat and opened the scroll to read it himself. "Seems like someone got into the wrong business," he hummed. "For eight hundred? That's a little excessive - not that I'm complaining."

"He's really good at hiding," Nazir explained, going back to watching Allen as if he was the Nightmother herself. The lad didn't seem to notice, though, and was content with stuffing his face as quickly as possible. "Will you be staying?" the Redguard asked, and Kanda didn't like how his eyes haven't strayed from Allen at all.

"Nope," Lavi chirped. "We're heading out just as soon as Yuu there decides he's got what he needs from here." Whether that be sleep or other things besides payment, Lavi wasn't sure yet, but he didn't really press for details, since he was sure Kanda would announce without prompting when they were leaving.

Kanda eyed the table wistfully as he took a deep breath to smell the roasted meat Allen was so enthusiastically tearing apart before he gave in and sat down.

"Is there more?" he asked, grabbing a bowl of Horker soup and a garlic bread. Nazir pursed his lips and rolled his eyes before shouting at no one particular to bring more. Allen lit up like a pyre and wiggled in his seat at the promise of more food.

They ate until they were satisfied and then left since Lavi wanted to get going sooner rather than later. He insisted it was because he wanted to make sure they got to the Scroll as soon as possible so that there was less chance of something going wrong... really it was because he wanted to disappear before a few assassins noticed a couple too many things missing.

They passed through Faulkreath, which was just over the hills from the Sanctuary, without incident. Just beyond Faulkreath was a slightly different matter, since there was a bandit encampment hanging directly over the road, though they were little more than a nuisance truth be told.

Ducking away from some arrows and behind a tree, Lavi grinned at Allen as a few licks of flames danced in his palm. Seriously, did these bandits even bother to find out who they were messing with before arrows started to fly?

" 'ey, 'ey sprout! Watch this, are ya watching?" He conjured a more intense flame between both hands, peeking around the tree to figure out his aim, and then sent a large fireball flying. It hit one of the bandit archers and sent them careening off the bridge hanging over the road. "Bullseye!"

Allen, who was crouched in the shrubbery nearby, pursed his lips and cocked his head. His eyes flickered to Kanda who was busy taking cover behind a tree slightly further from him and Lavi, looking quite bored. It was not that he didn't want to engage - he was just not feeling like taking an arrow to any part of his body and, quite frankly, he felt very content at letting Lavi handle the situation since he didn't know a thing about spells.

"Remember what the wall said?" Allen asked, suddenly drawing the attention to him. He didn't know what made him try it out, but he knew that there was no way of taking his words back now. Not when the two men were eyeing him like _that_.

Kanda and Lavi shared a glance.

"You should... try shouting the word," Allen suggested uncertainly, ducking his head as another arrow flew by.

"Maybe y'should take this one, Yuu," Lavi laughed, playfully teasing, "actually make yourself useful." Besides, his magicka was starting to run low. He felt like he probably had it in him for one, maybe two more fireballs, before he'd have to let it build up again. "You like to shout a lot anyway, right?"

Kanda frowned from his spot. "You want me to run over there shouting nonsense some asshole beat into a wall?"

"It's not nonsense!" Allen shouted indignantly, puffing his cheeks. Before either of the two men could act, he jumped out of his cover and shouted something that turned the nearest bandit into a chunk of ice. There was only a second where everyone gaped at him before the bandits retaliated with a hail of arrows and angry insults.

"Oi!" Lavi barked, leaping out from behind the tree and grabbing Allen by the back of his clothes. He threw Allen off to the side of the projectiles, sending out one of his own via another fireball that exploded in a bandit's face and sent them reeling on the ground.

Another bandit appeared that was far more heavily armored and toting a thick metal shield, probably some higher ranking one, maybe their chief. Lavi gathered up a last fireball and aimed it but the bandit chief blocked the incoming flame with his shield as he was charging at them.

" _Shit_ ," he panicked, fumbling for his war hammer. "...uh... um... what do I do?! Just yell somethin', right?!"

Kanda swore under his breath as he drew his sword, leaping out.

" _KRII!"_ he yelled before the bandit could reach their hiding spot. The man staggered as the force of the dragon shout hit him and stared at Kanda with eyes wide open.

"What did you-" he didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as he fell to the ground with a pained moan.

Kanda blinked and smirked. "Well, isn't that handy!"

"Ooooh..." Lavi gaped, somewhat impressed, though still a bit confused. Of course he didn't fail to miss that Allen somehow knew how this... power worked. Actually, come to think of it, Allen knew a little _too_ much about it. Even Lavi himself didn't much know about this particular ability, or if he did, he couldn't recall exactly from where. He noticed that it didn't outright kill the bandit, but it did something that incapacitated him at least. "Handy indeed. Just what was that?"

Allen squirmed when Lavi pinned him with a overly-curious look and tried to wiggle out of his grasp. Kanda has less time to wonder about what happened as the bandits attacked again, this time, however, less eager.

"You can ask him later!" he shouted, dodging a sword and dancing around the few brave fools who dared to approach, "get your ass here and help me!" He spun around to slice a throat of the nearest bandit and kick another one in the knee. The latter went down with a sickening crunch and a pained scream.

"Ya say that like I didn't already get enough of 'em with my fire spells!" Lavi tossed in return - mostly in banter - before leaping towards the fray with his warhammer and cracking one guy in the ribs, leaving him to roll around on the ground gasping in pain.

After he cracked one in the side of the head and sent them sprawling to the dirt, the last one or two turned and wisely ran away, screaming something about surrender.

"Took 'em long enough to smarten up, huh Yuu?" Lavi grinned.

He looked over at the man in time to see him draw a lungful of air and shout again, only this time he was left blinking dumbly as nothing happened. The bandit it was aimed at blinked right back at him, but before anything else could have happened, Allen came running back with his own shout that turned the man into an icicle.

"That was close!" Allen gasped as he tried to catch his breath.

Lavi popped up behind Allen, his head close enough that it may as well have been resting on the whitehead's shoulder.

"Yuu, I think ya broke the shouty thing. Didn't look like it did anything that time."

Kanda's head whipped his head around so fast Lavi was afraid it would snap off. "Why?" he barked harshly, making Allen take a half-step back into Lavi's chest.

"It takes time," Allen said quietly, and trying very hard to look everywhere else but at the two men. "You cannot use it in quick succession. Sometimes it takes a day before it works again."

Kanda swore under his breath at the vague answer. "When can I use it again then?"

Allen shrugged and glanced at the bright sky as if it held the answer. "When you're not feeling tired anymore," he said finally, and walked off to find the horses.

"Well that was a helpful advice," Lavi muttered at Allen's backside, a touch of sarcasm to his voice. He didn't dwell over it for very long though. "Looks like it's up to me the next time we find ourselves into trouble, then!" he boasted, giving Kanda a few pats on the shoulder that were probably meant to come off as reassuring and erred more on the side of condescending. "Don't worry, Yuu, I'll protect ya from the big, open world!"

"You can't even protect yourself!" Everybody in their merry little dysfunctional group knew it was not true, but nobody felt like popping that particular bubble.

They moved on, gathering the things the bandits were so kind to leave behind, careful not to overload the horses. Lavi was lucky to find find a tome of some kind and his eagerness to or read it as soon as possible provided Kanda with a period of silence long enough to make him calm down.

"So," Kanda spoke, poking Allen in his ribs and making him jump, "who taught you to read those things? The scribbles on the wall," he clarified when Allen turned around with a confused look.

"My... father I guess?"

"Oh yeah?" Lavi hummed, not looking up from his reading and doing just fine with both tasks of his book and listening to their conversation at the same time.

He thought of asking _'where is he now?'_ but thought better of it. People in his and Kanda's profession didn't tend to ask too much on personal back story, though he'd be the first to listen if Allen gave it.

"Where'd he learn it from? I mean it's not exactly common language around here, written or otherwise."

Allen turned around to peek over Kanda's shoulder at the redhead, his sharp, unique eyes judging. "It's a tradition. In our family, I mean." He fell silent for a while, squirming in the saddle until he sat more or less sideways. "He taught me _Dovahzul_ like any other father would teach his son the language of his people."

"Dovahzul?" Lavi repeated, glancing upwards towards the sky in thought. It kind of rang a bell, but he couldn't quite recall from where. Maybe in a book?

Then he remembered the alternative name to Dragonborn was Dovahkiin. He'd have to live under a rock at the bottom of the Sea of Ghosts not to have heard of the title. He could guess that the "dovah" between the two was the same, though it didn't hurt to be sure.

"Dovah is another word for dragon, isn't it?" he pondered aloud, touching a hand to his chin, humming more quietly. "...and I guess _zul_ might be some kind of indication of a language then..."

But that couldn't possibly be correct... could it...?

"You are really educated!" Allen exclaimed, looking genuinely impressed and making Kanda snort.

"Hard to believe," he noted, shooting Lavi an amused glance over his shoulder. So he was listening after all. He glanced back at the sprout and then at Lavi, his face telling that he was wondering the exact same thing, but he was not willing to voice it himself.

"A lot more educated than you," Lavi retorted playfully, pointing an accusatory finger in Kanda's direction. He could see at a glance that Kanda was having similar thoughts, but he wasn't willing to jump to that conclusion just yet without considering other options.

"I guess it's not all _that_ weird... I've never been to High Hrothgar myself... but I've heard that the Greybeards living up there can do the same thing..." He paused then, glancing over at Allen in curiosity. Maybe... "Hey, Snowy! This father guy you mentioned, he wasn't a Greybeard or something, was he?"

Allen shook his head, glancing at the sky.

"He was their friend," he mused, "they are really weird though! Did you know that their voices are so mighty they make the mountain rumble? The one time my father made one laugh, the people from the village beneath the Throat had to run away because of the avalanches!"

He kept on talking, his excitement not diminishing even despite the angry growls Kanda was emitting every time Allen poked him with his elbow as he gesticulated.

"-and then he taught me how to play that game where you need to push a marble into a hole," he finished with a wide grin. Kanda had no more eye rolls and headshakes to spare at that point, and looked positively happy that the storytelling time was finally over.

Lavi was sort of listening, but he was thinking as well. Maybe Allen was just crazy about all of his dragon-talk... or maybe he was a little less so than he'd first been assuming. He considered a few possibilities, and as strange as the claim was, he wasn't _entirely_ willing to overlook the possibility that something of what Allen was saying was the truth...

If so, he might know how to turn it around to his favor... but that might require going to Riverwood, which was out-of-the-way of their decided path, even if it was quite close to Helgen, where they'd be passing through.

Still, whether or not it'd be worth it depended on a lot of factors. First and foremost was where they were going.

"Ah - so! You said this place we're going for the scroll is near Whiterun, right?" Allen wouldn't tell him specifics, but maybe he could at least get a better idea. `Near Whiterun` was rather vague. "What direction from Whiterun though?"

He'd already figured it wasn't south, since that's where they were already traveling through. Likely it wasn't west either. That left either east or north, and north was the most likely.

"I ask because if we're going north then we're going to need to plan a little better for what sort of gear we need to bring, ya know? Winterhold and The Pale are really treacherous areas. The beasts are way bigger and more aggressive, it's all mountainous and jagged, not to mention it'd be way too easy to freeze to death up there, where even the oceans freeze solid. That said though, it _does_ make it the perfect place to hide something like that, so that its very unlikely anyone would find it." Plus knowing where would make it a lot easier to make some additional arrangements with a few extra connections.

Allen took a second to look around, turning his head like an owl, and Lavi indulged him with silence until he stopped to stare wistfully at the Throat before he pointed a little bit to the left.

"That way," he said, "in the mountains."

Kanda made an acknowledging sound and sighed.

"Redguards," he murmured with distaste, which earned him a questioning look from his passenger.

Lavi quirked an eyebrow. Was that comment meant for him? The only thing Redguard-esque about his appearance was his physique - fair enough, he was mixed, after all - but everything else about him didn't look that way. At least he didn't think so. His skin wasn't dark enough and his hair far too fair.

"If I look like a Redguard, then you look like a girl." Oh, he was going to suffer for that one, he was sure. Oh well, couldn't be unsaid now. "If anything I pass more as an Imperial or a Nord." He wasn't really short enough to pass as being a Breton, even if there was a little of that in there too.

Kanda stopped his protesting nightmare horse and turned to glare at the redhead with a frown so scary, it made the hair on Allen's neck stand. He wiggled in the saddle, tugging at Kanda's sleeve as if he was trying to communicate some silent plea to calm the man down - unfortunately, without any success.

Then suddenly, Kanda took a deep breath and shouted his previously ineffective dragon word right at the babbling thief.

Lavi wore a sheepish smile as Kanda growled and instinctively leaned away(and veered his horse a little more towards the other side of the road). The yell in his direction made him yelp and almost fall sideways out of the saddle, even though nothing actually happened.

"Don't go aiming that thing at me!"

Kanda scrunched his nose in disgust and spurred his horse into a trot in attempt to leave the redhead behind. Unsuccessfully, since Lavi was hard to get rid of once you get him on your back, but Kanda was not in the mood to get down, take out his sword, and start a never-ending chase after him.

Allen tried to make himself as small as possible in his seat, avoiding Kanda's wrath while shooting Lavi little worried glances. After a while, Kanda cooled down enough for Allen to start a little conversation about books which lead to an exciting recounting of some of the places Lavi visited.

Just when Kanda began to eye the gathering clouds above their heads with distaste and lament the incoming bad turn of weather - the only thing he ever laments (and Lavi thought it's because of the hair) - they came across a lonely hut with even lonelier lady living inside. Lavi wouldn't have minded the stay, Allen could not have cared less, but Kanda detested the notion  _a lot,_ so they ended up shivering in the rain on the backs of their horses, listening to Lavi's incessant grumbling.

They endured, however, and a few hours later, they were rewarded with the sight of Helgen's towers in the distance. Kanda silently whispered his thanks to the Nightmother as he urged his horse to walk a little bit faster.

While shelter from the rain was a nice relief, what was really alluring was the promise of food at the inn. Allen and Lavi could already smell it from outside as they found a spot off to the side to tether their horses. Warm food and some good drink would do well for all of their spirits (and Kanda's temper).

Unfortunately, there was still the matter of Allen's appetite in-question. Lavi was going to need to risk a lot more chances of getting caught for thievery if they didn't figure out how to plug whatever hole the kid had in his stomach some time soon.

He was just pondering where the best place in the inn to take coin from was, innocently drinking down some ale, when someone came up behind him and barked " _Woof_ " in his ear.

The redhead half-sprayed his drink and half-screamed all at once, and it was unclear if he fell sideways off his feet or flung himself, but in the blink of an eye he was crouched behind the other side of the table between Kanda and Allen with his eye and eye-patch barely peeking over the lip.

"Y-you stay away from me!" he yelped at the tall Dark Elf with gold eyes and curly black hair that had snuck up on him, flanked by two others who were all getting far too much amusement from his reaction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter for a little while :3 Sorry guys~ but we will return to updating OSBW as soon as possible!

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews much appreciated!


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